For most kids growing up in poverty-stricken areas, the fame and prestige of becoming a professional footballer is their dream.
Antonio Cassano was no different. Hailing from the working-class San Nicola district of Bari Vecchia, Cassano grew up with just his mother.
Such was their desperate economic situation, he often bet against older kids that he could beat them at football in order to put food on the table back home.
He quickly became thick-skinned and tough as nails, rising through the ranks at Bari before a big-money move to Italian champions Roma, aged just 19.
Read more on dailystar.co.uk