When Diego De Girolamo burst on to the scene as a teenager, he was getting more attention than his school friend and Sheffield United team-mate, Harry Maguire.
Indeed, on the forward’s debut against Coventry aged 17, Maguire scored an own goal, while his own future looked glittering after a call-up from the Italian youth team.
In the end, the Manchester United captaincy and World Cup stardom went to his mate rather than De Girolamo. But on Sunday he can make some of his own headlines when non-league Buxton visit Ipswich Town in the FA Cup second round.
Diego De Girolamo was rated higher than Harry Maguire as a teenager at Sheffield United
He has however opted out of the professional game and is playing non-league for Buxton
Maguire played 166 times for Sheffield United before ending up in the Premier League
‘I went to St Mary’s High School in Chesterfield with Harry. He was a couple of years older and helped me out a lot at Sheffield United when I started,’ says De Girolamo.
‘As a young lad, you want to be confident in the first-team dressing room but not too loud. Harry guided me through the whole process, he was someone to chat to.
‘We were good friends and I’m proud of what he’s achieved. He gets criticism but I’m able to tell my friends from experience that he’s a brilliant player and has a tough skin to bounce back.
‘I last saw him at the Meadowhall shopping centre in Sheffield and it was the same old Harry. His brother plays for Chesterfield and he has lots of friends in lower league or non-league so he’s comfortable in any environment.’
De Girolamo was eligible for Italy through his father and played for them from Under-17s to U20s. Team-mates included future Euro 2020 winner Bryan Cristante, Lorenzo Pellegrini, of Roma, and former Spurs goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini.
An ACL injury on international duty kept him out for a year. While it has not given him any long-term physical problems, the lay-off halted his career momentum.
De Girolamo insisted he and Maguire are still friends and that his is proud of his achievements
Maguire has started both of England’s games so far at the World Cup and impressed on Friday
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‘There was a lot of hype and expectation around me as a young pro,’ he says. ‘The injury stopped me at a time when Premier League clubs were looking. I ended up going to Bristol City but spent a lot of my time there on loan.
‘When I finished with Bristol City in 2018, I realised I wasn’t enjoying it any more. I had offers to stay in the professional game with Morecambe or Crewe but I felt that, if I wasn’t excited by it, it wasn’t the right decision to go.
‘I discussed the situation with my family and we agreed playing a year part-time at Buxton with my brother, Nico, would bring more enjoyment. It must have worked because I’m in my fifth season with the club.
‘I scored 27 goals last season and have my own tiling business. I feel better than ever and I’m interested in having another go at league level if it’s the right offer. There has been interest but nothing that convinced me to leave.’
Diego De Girolamo blames an injury for halting his career when Premier League clubs were looking at him
De Girolamo, 27, helped Buxton win promotion to the National League North last season but they have been more pragmatic recently under new manager Jamie Vermiglio and lost their last three games.
Vermiglio led Chorley to a famous FA Cup run 12 months ago and De Girolamo also has happy memories of the competition, once scoring for Sheffield United against Preston in the fourth round under Nigel Clough.
He will have to produce something special against opponents second in League One and said: ‘The FA Cup is the biggest stage for us. For Buxton, we’ve got to try to do a Saudi Arabia!’