Player Focus: Does Luca Toni Warrant A Return To The Italian National Team?

At the ripe old age of 36, Luca Toni is still impressing in Italy’s top tier. The burly striker joined Hellas Verona in the summer and made an instantaneous impact for his new club, netting a brace in his first game in the opening day 2-1 win over Milan back in August.

Following reports that the veteran was to hang up his boots upon his release from Fiorentina, the announcement that he’d signed a 1-year deal with the Gialloblu came somewhat out of the blue. Yet, one final payday in a team where he’d likely be the focal point of the attack was evidently too much for Toni to turn down.

With 3 goals in 5 appearances for the Serie A returnees, the ageing frontman still has a knack for knowing where the net is. A further assist means Toni’s average WhoScored.com rating sits at a highly respectable 7.69, not to mention the man of the match award he received for his double-goal salvo in the aforementioned victory over Milan.

In the 4-3-3 that Verona have adopted on 5 occasions this season, ‘Tonigol’ has the physical presence and experience to lead the attack to great effect. This is perhaps emphasised in his WhoScored.com strengths of 'headed attempts' and 'aerial duels' highlighting his aerial ability as a means of bringing his teammates into play.

Having won 30 aerial duels this season - only Alessandro Lucarelli (34) has faired better in the air having made 2 more appearances - this much is clear, while Toni has had the most attempts on goal from headers (9) in Italy’s top flight this term. Toni's power in the air is what he's famed for and evidently Verona are utilising this to its maximum potential.

This is further accentuated in the fact that 2 of his 3 league goals have been headers; no player has scored more from the same situation. His performances have been so impressive this season that a recall to the national team isn’t completely out of the question. Toni may not have played for the Azzurri since 2010, but on current form, there aren’t many strikers operating at as high a level as the knowledgeable frontman.

Of every Italian player to play as a centre forward this term, only AS Roma’s Francesco Totti (8.34) has garnered a higher WhoScored.com rating than Toni. The 37-year old had retired from the national team, and has not been capped since 2006, although head coach Cesare Prandelli has previously stated that he would consider his comeback for the 2014 World Cup.

Nevertheless, with Toni evidently impressing for Verona thus far, calls for a return to the national setup aren’t too farfetched. While he’s unlikely to start ahead of the likes of Mario Balotelli and Pablo Osvaldo when Prandelli boasts the luxury of a fully fit squad, he’s certainly an option for the Italy head coach from the bench.

His goal record in comparison to the league's other Italian strikers this season stands him in fine stead, with only Alessio Cerci (6) and Giuseppe Rossi (5) netting more than the 36-year-old this term. Ostensibly, the goal-getting capability of Toni hasn’t deserted him with age, but the real question would be whether he’s able to transfer this facet of his game to the international stage once again.

Toni has netted 11 goals in 30 international games, hardly a poor return for the striker, but having not made an appearance for the national team in over 3 years, question marks understandably linger over whether he’s still capable of performing at that level. Yet, with a 50% shot accuracy, if the player continues to perform as he has done, there is little reason why Prandelli shouldn’t at least consider him for a return to the Italy team.

The 56-year-old was at the helm during Toni’s most prolific season for Fiorentina, during which the striker netted 31 leagues goals, with that figure the most since Antonio Angelillo’s 33-goal return in 1959. Prandelli knows the frontman well from his spell as La Viola head coach and this link could strengthen his quest to return to the Italy team.

The striker is currently firing in 3.6 shots per game, with only Mario Balotelli (7.5), Alessandro Diamanti and Antonio Candreva (both 4.9) averaging more than the Verona ace of every player in the current Italy squad. With none of the trio netting more than Toni in the league, his prolificacy in front of goal will aid the team, despite the abundance of talent available to Prandelli for Italy.

Regardless, Toni’s displays warrant consideration from the Azzurri head coach, especially if he is able to maintain the standard of his performances over the coming weeks. The frontman is enjoying a new lease of life in his autumn years with Verona and his ability to consistently find the net certainly justifies the possibility of him returning to the national team.