The veteran of a staggering 132 caps, Fabio Cannavaro is past his best and could even be a liability rather than an asset in South Africa. But World Cup events aren’t a grueling 38-game League season – they are a test of leadership and mental strength over an intense five-week period.

Few measure up in terms of character and experience than Italy’s captain. In 2006, he was a colossus at central defence as he led Italy to World Cup glory in Germany, with his memorable performance against the hosts in Dortmund one of the highlights of the tournament.

 

His contribution was rewarded with the World player of the year award - the first central defender to receive the accolade.

After learning his trade at hometown club Napoli, a long spell at Parma saw him develop into one of the most accomplished defenders in Serie A in the mid-90s.

Moves to Inter and Juventus followed, but his heroics in 2006 for the national side earned him a move to Real Madrid and with it his first domestic title triumph two years later.

Age and loss of form led to a return to Juve at the beginning of the season, but recapturing his glory days has proved difficult. However, if he can paper over the cracks that have emerged for just a few more games, Italy might put up a better defence of their title than many expect.