Get to know our new forward Valeria Pirone!

The 32-year-old from Torre del Greco has played in Serie A for no fewer than eight teams - spending last season with Sassuolo as they finished third in the table.

Career

After beginning her career at Napoli, where she helped the side win promotion to A2 and then Serie A, Pirone moved to Res Roma - where she was the club's top goalscorer in her one season in the capital.

She then left for Verona, who had qualified for the Champions League, and made her debut in the competition in 2015 - scoring a brace in that game against Sankt Polten. She would go on to score 11 goals in 18 games for the Gialloblu in that campaign, once again helping them qualify for the preliminary rounds of the following season's European competition.

Her career has subsequently seen her spend two years with Mozzanica, a campaign with Chievo Valpo, a second stint with Verona and then last season's run with Sassuolo.

International honours

Called up by then-coach Antonio Cabrini, Pirone made her Italy debut in October 2011 against Russia, as the Azzurre won 2-0 in Treviso.

She had to wait almost 10 years for another chance, however, as Milena Bertolini named her in a 34-player group for friendlies against the Netherlands and Austria in June.

Playing style

Valeria Pirone is a No. 9 with strong technical quality. A complete forward, she is good in the air and on the deck and is not afraid to harry and hastle the opposition - with her speed put to great use in both attacking and defensive situations.

A proven goalscorer at Serie A level, Pirone is dangerous on either foot or in the air - and rarely gives opposition defenders a moment's rest during the 90 minutes.

The statistics

Numbers only ever tell half the story, but in Pirone's case they tell some story: 206 Serie A appearances to date, with 90 goals to her credit.

Last season she scored 10 goals in the league, good enough to finish as the sixth top goalscorer in Serie A.

Of those goals scored last season, three came with her head, five on her right foot and two on her left - while one was from outside the area. With seven assists also to her credit, Pirone finished the season as the third top assist provider in the league.

Pirone has reached double figures for goals in six of her last nine seasons: her best campaign coming in 2016-17, when she managed 19 goals for Mozzanica.

Other details

Pirone has managed just one goal against Roma in her career - she notched on the first day of last seaosn, as Sassuolo came back to draw 1-1 with Roma after Paloma Lazaro's early strike.

She started playing football thanks in part to her brother, although she started off as a goalkeeper. In 2013 she became the first player in Napoli's history to make 200 appearances for the club.

She is active on social medial: fans can follow her on Instagram.