f iel der , ▁a ▁playing ▁position ▁he ▁held ▁throughout ▁his ▁career ▁that ▁allowed ▁him ▁to ▁expand ▁his ▁fame ▁beyond ▁Italy . ▁In ▁his ▁later ▁seasons , ▁he ▁was ▁considered ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁best ▁players ▁in ▁Europe ▁in ▁his ▁role . ▁He ▁died ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 3 0 ▁in ▁the ▁Super ga ▁air ▁dis aster . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Cass ano ▁d ' Add a , ▁Ric etto , ▁a ▁neighbourhood ▁of ▁abandoned ▁homes ▁to ▁a ▁very ▁mod est ▁family . ▁His ▁father , ▁Aless andro , ▁was ▁a ▁labour er ▁for ▁A zi enda ▁Tor inese ▁M obil ità ▁and ▁died ▁in ▁August ▁ 1 9 4 0 , ▁hit ▁by ▁a ▁tr uck . ▁His ▁mother ' s ▁name ▁was ▁Leon ina ▁R atti ▁and ▁his ▁four ▁brothers ▁were ▁Pier o , ▁Sil v io , ▁Carlo ▁and ▁Stef ano . ▁He ▁had ▁an ▁un sett led ▁child hood ; ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 9 ▁his ▁father ▁was ▁fired ▁from ▁his ▁job ▁because ▁of ▁the ▁Great ▁De pression . ▁To ▁help ▁his ▁family , ▁Valent ino ▁sought ▁work ▁the ▁following ▁year , ▁just ▁as ▁he ▁finished ▁the ▁first ▁year ▁of ▁grade ▁school . ▁He ▁found ▁employ ment ▁as ▁a ▁b aker ' s ▁boy , ▁then , ▁at ▁age ▁ 1 4 , ▁the ▁lin en ▁mill ▁at ▁Cass ano ▁d ' Add a . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁summer ▁of ▁ 1 9 2 9 , ▁at ▁age ▁ 1 0 , ▁he