🙌 Juventus cult heroes: Moreno Torricelli | OneFootball

Juventus have had so many outstanding defenders throughout their history.

From Claudio Gentile in days gone by to Giorgio Chiellini today, the Old Lady have always had a knack for producing some of the greatest in the game.

Moreno Torricelli is unlikely to be remembered in the same vein but he remains a beloved figure among fans nonetheless.

That is because the full-back wasn’t blessed with the natural gifts of a Gentile or Chiellini and he won the support over with his unmatched dedication and passion.

It was that determination to succeed which took him to the top against all the odds.

He was deemed not good enough for Como at the age of 16 and at 22, he was happy with his lot playing part-time for Caratese while also working in a factory.

Incredibly and against all the odds, he was man of the match and a winner in the Champions League final just four years later.

But his road to get there and signing for Juventus is certainly a curious one, one that is unlikely ever to be repeated.

In the summer of 1992, the Bianconeri faced Caratese in a pre-season friendly and Torricelli impressed coach Giovanni Trapattoni so much that he was invited on trial with the Italian giants.

The wholehearted defender had to take a leave of absence from work to take Juve up on their offer but it proved an extremely wise decision.

His explosive and seemingly limitless energy combined with a wise tactical brain quickly convinced Trapattoni and co. to part with 50 million lire to sign him on a permanent basis.

He remained down to earth and refused to forget his roots even when playing for one of the world’s biggest clubs, although with team-mates like Roberto Baggio, that was never going to be an issue.

When ‘The Divine Ponytail’ learned of Torricelli’s work as a carpenter so soon before sharing a dressing room with him, he handed his new colleague a nickname of his own – Geppetto.

But he could play too and that quickly became apparent as no sooner had he won his place in the side than he kept it and before long, his versatility began to impress too.

Although things were more difficult for him on a personal level with Marcello Lippi after he took over, butting heads more than once over some of Torricelli’s private habits, he remained a key man.

In fact, it could be argued that he was one of the symbols for the new look, fitter, hungrier Juve side who wrestled back both domestic and continental superiority in the mid ’90s.

After coming close to leaving, he ultimately stayed and it proved the right call again – the defender being the best player on the park for Juventus when the won the Champions League again in 1996 against Ajax.

Serious injury and a struggle to keep his place soured things a little towards the end and he left for Fiorentina in 1998 to link up with his old mentor Trapattoni again.

When you list Juve legends, the 50-year-old’s name may not crop up in that conversation.

But discuss beloved figures who bled black and white and you’ll find him near the top of that tree.