Massimo Maccarone has revealed how he turned down a move to one of Italian football's giants to come to England with Middlesbrough - and why he still loves his 'Big Mac' nickname.
The striker played 99 times in a Boro shirt from 2002 to 2007, scoring 25 goals for the club and helping them the League Cup glory in 2004 and reaching the final of the UEFA Cup in 2006.
The popular Italian was brought to Teesside by Steve McClaren and proved to a big hit at the Riverside - so much so that he even has a tattoo to commemorate his famous nickname and those Boro days.
It could have been very different had he followed the expected path from Empoli to Juve, but the lure of the Premier League was too much for Maccarone - even if McClaren's stance on his abilities left him a little puzzled.
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“I was supposed to go to Juve, but I chose the Premier League," he told Gazzetta dello Sport. "Steve McClaren said I looked like Del Piero, I replied that maybe he had the wrong person.”
On that Big Mac nickname, he added: “It was your fault. After I scored a goal, Gazzetta published that title that would stay with me for the rest of my life: “Big Mac”.
“The English took it back. From that day on, that nickname has never gone away. And I even got it tattooed on me.”
Maccarone enjoyed some stellar times on Teesside, and will always be remembered for those goals in the UEFA Cup run, particularly against Basel and then that legendary semi-final win over Steau Bucharest.
“The League Cup won in 2004 and the UEFA Cup final in 2006," he said. "Even though we lost against Sevilla, it was a magical moment. I don’t think I ever paid for a drink after those two goals in the second leg of the semi-final against Steaua.”
After two loans spells at Siena and Parma, Maccarone left Middlesnbrough on a pemanently deal to Siena in 2007, before returing to Empoli where he would score 71 goals in 209 appearances. He spent a season with Brisbane Roar in Australia before ending his career back in Italy with Carrarese.