Marco Gabbiadini (; born 20 January 1968) is an English former footballer whose career lasted 18 years from 1985 to 2003. He played for 12 different clubs, scoring a total of 226 league goals. Playing career York City Gabbiadini was born on 20 January 1968 to an English mother and an Italian father in Nottingham, and was brought up in York, where he was educated at Nunthorpe Grammar School in Southbank. He started his professional career at York City as an apprentice at the age of 16 in 1984 and made his York City debut aged 17 as a substitute against Bolton Wanderers in March 1985. His full debut came on the first day of the 1985–86 season when he scored in a home win against Plymouth Argyle. His talent was spotted immediately and by the end of the season, York City manager, Denis Smith, told England manager, Bobby Robson, to call him into the England under-21 team in order to avoid being tied to playing for Italy, the birthplace of his father. He became the youngest player to score a hat-trick for York City at the age of 18 in an Associate Members' Cup victory against Darlington in November 1986. From then on he quickly established himself in the first team and went on to notch 18 goals in 50 starts and 21 sub appearances for the Minstermen. Sunderland However the departure of manager and mentor Denis Smith would see him leave York in order to follow Denis Smith to Sunderland for a transfer fee of £80,000 on 23 September 1987. Sunderland had been relegated to the Third Division and needed a goalscorer to help fire them back to the Second Division and Gabbiadini was seen by Smith as the perfect signing. Despite this Gabbiadini's signing was seen as risky, as in order to raise funds to sign him, Smith had to sell one of Sunderland's most popular players, midfielder Mark Proctor, to Sheffield Wednesday. Gabbiadini made his Sunderland debut in a 2−0 defeat to Chester City at Roker Park. His first goals for Sunderland would come only three days later in a 3−0 victory over Fulham at Craven Cottage as he scored twice, a feat he would match in the next two games. He would quickly establish himself as a key player and a crowd favourite for Sunderland by scoring on a regular basis, and is known in