Born in Brescia, Arturo Lupoli, a young talented Italian striker making waves in the Parma academy was always a big prospect determined to explode onto the world footballing scene. He was a player who many likened to that of Alberto Gilardino, and was seen as a relitive understudy to the costless scoring Italian.

2004 was as an important year for Parma as it was for Arturo, having risen from insolvency and reformed as Parma Football Club and the city of Parma was buzzing with enthusiasm and wishful thinking.

Perhaps disillusioned by the vast array of attacking prowless Parma had at their disposal, Arturo Lupoli was somewhat struggling to gain first team experience in Serie A and his predecessor Alberto Gilardino was tucking away goal upon goal on the way to his 23 goal haul for the season.

Lupoli was faced with a big decision, stay in Italy and fight his way past the likes of Alberto Gilardino, who would later be sold, and Adrian Mutu, who had not long been at the club. Or to leave for London and sign his first professional contract with Arsenal Football Club.

Arturo took the gamble, eager to replicate the likes of fellow countryman Alberto Gilardino, Lupoli took to London to sign for 'The Gunners'.

Lupoli made his debut fairly early into his Arsenal career, playing for the first team against Manchester City in the League Cup. Arsenal fans would have to wait until his second game, in the same competition, against Everton to witness his first brace for the club. The Italian scored two of the three Arsenal goals in their impressive 3-1 win over fellow league side Everton.

Despite a fairly good start to life in London Arturo soon found himself languishing on the sidelines once again wondering what could have been back at Parma, with the huge €24million sale of Alberto Gilardino to Italian Giants A.C. Milan.

Lupoli's chances were limited. As other players took their opportunities in the first team, Arturo found himself slipping down the pecking order and seeking a chance to prove his worth.

The young Italian marvelled in the reserve team, notching up an impressive 27 goals in 32 games for Arsenal's second team, it was a small period which gave Arsene Wenger some promise regarding the youngsters abilities. Unknown to him at the time, a number of Championship sides were showing their interest in the striker and the opportunity to prove himself would arise.

That chance came in the form of a loan move to Championship side Derby County, however fortunes didn't favour the Italian, despite scoring the clubs first hat-trick for over a decade. It was a small accolade which would best some up a dissapointing time in Derbyshire.

It would spark a downward spiral for the Italian's career, despite signing a pre-contract with Fiorentina, with a chance to return to Serie A and his native Italy, Lupoli didn't feature in a single game for the Florence side and would be shipped out on a string of unconvincing loan moves in England and Italy.

Arturo latered revealed in an interview with Napoli Magazine that he had been lamenting his decision to leave London and sign for Fiorentina.

He revealed to the reporter in the same interview that he did in-fact have the opportunity to join a then Serie B Napoli side on the verge of winning the title, but chose to sign for the guraunteed Serie A option, which he would regret:

"I agreed to move to Naples, which was then in Serie B and was about to win the championship and go to Serie A.

"The management wanted me strongly, but unfortunately there were external pressures that led me to choose Fiorentina.

"That choice will always be my biggest regret. Going to Naples was my dream.

It was clear that if Arturo were to have a second chance he would, without question, have made different decisions.

"Having the chance at 20-years-old, what's more the team I liked most in Italy, would have been amazing."

It is a valuable incite into what can happen to footballers when making career changing decisions, and highlights the importance of choosing the right path and what is right for each individual.

Arturo was young and evidently talented, and was a player who just needed the right foundations around him, with enough first team experience to develop as a footballer.

It can only be speculated how far Arturo Lupoli could have gone in his career had the choices he made in his career were more favourable toward the Italian.

Arturo would however return to English football, and vowed to fire Sheffield United back into the Premier League and prove Arsene Wenger wrong. However, come the end of the season, Lupoli had to retreat back to Italy with his tail firmly between his legs, having not been offered any further deal at Sheffield United.

Having spent the best part of four years back in Italy, and struggling to rise to form at a number of lower Serie B clubs such as Ascoli and Grosseto, Lupoli went out on loan to the relitively unknown Budapest Honvéd FC of Hungary where he failed to find the back of the net.

From a player who was labelled an Arsenal 'wonderkid' to struggling to find a club following unsuccesful spells at nine different clubs following his exit from Arsenal. It is a sad show of reality at how much of a struggle the football industry can be for players who are too young and perhaps naive when choosing their career paths.

As for the name Arturo Lupoli, many fans of football and Arsenal alike will always wonder, what might have been?