_by_Sandro_Halank%E2%80%93538.jpg) Di Santo with Schalke 04 in 2018 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Franco Matías Di Santo[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 7 April 1989[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Mendoza, Argentina | ||
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Striker | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Independiente Rivadavia | ||
| Number | 9 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2005–2006 | Audax Italiano | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2006–2008 | Audax Italiano | 61 | (14) |
| 2008–2010 | Chelsea | 8 | (0) |
| 2009–2010 | → Blackburn Rovers (loan) | 22 | (3) |
| 2010–2013 | Wigan Athletic | 92 | (13) |
| 2013–2015 | Werder Bremen | 49 | (18) |
| 2015–2019 | Schalke 04 | 71 | (5) |
| 2019 | Rayo Vallecano | 6 | (0) |
| 2019–2020 | Atlético Mineiro | 21 | (3) |
| 2020–2022 | San Lorenzo | 33 | (10) |
| 2022 | Göztepe | 15 | (3) |
| 2022 | Tijuana | 15 | (2) |
| 2023 | Universidad Católica | 20 | (2) |
| 2024– | Independiente Rivadavia | 1 | (0) |
| International career | |||
| 2006–2009 | Argentina U20 | 25 | (5) |
| 2012–2013 | Argentina | 3 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 21:51, 23 April 2024 (UTC) | |||
Franco Matías Di Santo (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈfɾaŋko ði ˈsanto]; born 7 April 1989) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a striker for the Argentine Primera División club Independiente Rivadavia.
Di Santo began his career at Chilean club Audax Italiano, earning a £3.4 million move to Chelsea in 2008 and a first-team place following good form in the reserves. After a season on loan at Blackburn Rovers, he moved to Wigan Athletic for £2 million in 2010, where he won the FA Cup in 2013. After totalling 14 goals in 122 Premier League matches, he was released following Wigan's relegation to the Championship in 2013. He then moved to Werder Bremen in Germany, spending two seasons there, before making a controversial switch to rivals Schalke 04.[2]
Di Santo has represented the Argentina national football team on three occasions. He was nicknamed 'Crespito' (Little Crespo) after former Argentinian striker Hernán Crespo[3] (who was nicknamed 'Valdanito', after Jorge Valdano).
- ^ a b c Hugman, Barry J., ed. (2010). The PFA Footballers' Who's Who 2010–11. Mainstream Publishing. p. 120. ISBN 978-1-84596-601-0.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
schalke switchwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Philippssen, Petra (15 August 2013). ""CRESPITO" WILL EIN GROSSER WERDE" ["CRESPITO" WILL BE A GREAT] (in German). Bundesliga. Archived from the original on 4 November 2014. Retrieved 4 November 2014.