Milan: a guide to our visitors.

Last updated : 03 February 2009 By Carino
If Milan wear their usual squad numbers those of us intending to attend the game can identify some of the stars players thus:

1. Dida - Brazilian international goalkeeper currently out of favour and infamous for being carried off at Parkhead after a yahoo slapped him.

50. Antonio Donnarumma - highly rated nineteen year old goalkeeper.


18. Marek Jankulovski - Czech Republic international left back who on occasion operates in midfield. CL winner with more than sixty international caps.

2. Felipe Mattioni - twenty one year old Brazilian with an Italian passport currently on loan at Milan from Gremio.

77. Luca Antonini - reliable twenty six year old defender who is on the fringe of the first team but has to make first pick status soon or he might be moved on.

21. Andrea Pirlo - midfield general and free kick specialist who has more than fifty caps for the Azzurri, several Serie A medals, CL winner and 2006 world cup winner.

51. Rod Strasser - very promising midfielder from Sierra Leone who has already made his first team debut. Not quite a Pato or a Kakà - but not too many are.

36. Matteo Darmian - twenty year old defender with twenty two under age caps. Has already made the breakthrough to the first team squad.

32. David Beckham - no description required for England midfielder with more than one hundred caps. Currently playing for Milan without salary but with expenses covered by sponsors Dolce & Gabbana, Audi, Emporio Armani and Adidas. Beckham also has a promo deal with Emporio Armani: as does his wife (hers is worth £12 million).

84. Mathieu Flamini - former Arsenal midfielder (some say reject) who has yet to deliver for Milan.

56. Michele Albertazzi - seventeen year old defender, allegedly with great potential, but yet to make his first team debut.

7. Alexandre Pato - Brilliant nineteen year old Brazilian striker purchased from SC Internacional for €22 million in January 2008. Has had quiet games but in just thirty seven Serie A outings had delivered twenty goals. Greatness awaits this young man.

9. Filippo Inzaghi - prolific striker with sixty-two European goals and two CL hat tricks to his name. Second only to real Madrid's Raul in European goals. Has netted twenty five times for Italy in fifty-seven international outings. Easily recognisable by being frequently offside but eventually scoring from a dubious position.

10. Clarence Seedorf - Paramaribo born superstar with four CL wins with three different clubs - Ajax, Real Madrid, Milan (2) - to his name. A superb playmaker with more than eighty Dutch international outings behind him.

80. Ronaldinho - No introduction required for former FIFA and European player of the year. Occasionally a circus act, sometimes a brilliant goalscorer, dead ball expert but always worth seeing.

22. Ricardo Kakà - a superstar amongst superstars, and a manager and sponsors' dream on and off the pitch, Ricky Kakà alone is worth the trip to Ibrox. An €8 million buy from Brazil's San Paolo in 2003 Kakà recently turned down a £100 million attempt from Manchester City to tempt him away from Milan. During that transfer saga more than two thousand Milan tifosi congregated outside his penthouse apartment in Milan's Via Aurelio Saffi with placards begging him to stay. Already a former World and European player of the year there is much more to come from this twenty six year old and what Rangers supporter can forget his sixty metre run with Lennon in his wake and subsequent nutmeg which beat Boruc in a San Siro CL encounter!

33. Thiago Silva - twenty-five year old Brazilian defender who signed from Fluminese last December. Silva has had spells with Porto and Dynamo Moscow but injury severely impacted his career. Now fit and with a promising display in a friendly against Hanover being him he is likely to feature as he ineligible to play in Serie A till July 2009 due to EU regulations.

Others in the squad and their numbers are Philippe Senderos ( 24 ); Mathias Cardaccio ( 14 ); Andriy Shevchenko ( 76 ).

Coach Carlo Ancelotti who has been at Milanello since 2001 is one of the very select few men (three I think ) who have won the CL as player and as manager. He achieved both of those feats with Milan.

Our own Rino Gattuso who is scheduled to make the trip but who will not play due to a long term injury will hopefully make an appearance to say a welcome hello.