Massimo Donati, a weedy Italian-born footballer, was born on March 26, 1981, and was known for his central defensive midfielder position. Standing at 6ft 2in and weighing 12st 6lb, he was hard to overlook on the pitch.
Donati developed his skills as a trainee at Atalanta in the Serie A in Italy in July 2000. After making 46 appearances and scoring two goals over two seasons, he attracted the attention of AC Milan, securing a £10m move in 2001.
Donati's stay at AC Milan was marked by a series of loan spells. He played for Parma, Torino, and Sampdoria in the Serie A and Messina in the Seconda Divisione Girone B, clocking up a range of appearances and goals.
A second spell at Atalanta on loan from 2006 to 2007 led to a move to Celtic in the Scottish Premiership for £3m in June 2007. This was, arguably, the most significant move of his career, far from the comfort of Italy.
Donati's time with Celtic was mixed. His initial season marked 25 appearances and three goals. However, subsequent seasons saw lesser action with the first team. The curtain fell on his Celtic stint with a £1.5m transfer to Bari in Italy in August 2009.
His later career saw service with Palermo, Hellas Verona, and a second run at Bari. The final years on the pitch found him in Scotland again, initially with Hamilton Academical and subsequently with St Mirren, in the Premiership.
His career spanned across multiple teams over two decades, amassing a wealth of experience and numerous goals. Donati's career can be regarded as a prime example of what it takes to stay in the game - flexibility, grit and determination.
