Giuseppe Wilson

Giuseppe Wilson

Wilson in a Lazio shirt
Personal information
Full name	Joseph Wilson
Date of birth	(1945-10-27) 27 October 1945
Place of birth	Darlington, England
Playing position	Center back
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1964–1965	Cirio	18	(0)
1965–1969	Internapoli	138	(0)
1969–1979	Lazio[1]	296	(4)
1978–1979	New York Cosmos	16	(0)
Total		468	(4)
National team
1974	Italy	3	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (goals)

Joseph (Giuseppe) "Pino"^[2] Wilson (born 27 October 1945 in Darlington, England, UK) is a former Italian footballer. Although born in Northern England, Wilson played the majority of his football career in Italy.

At club level he played as a defender for Internapoli and Lazio, as well as representing the Italian national football team three times in 1974.

Biography

He was born in Darlington to a Neapolitan woman Lina Di Francesca and Dennis Wilson, a Briton who worked as an iron and steel worker at the local factory, but had met Lina while serving with the British Army. When Joseph Wilson was just six months old, his family moved to Naples, his mother's hometown as she found it hard to settle in the UK due to the cold winters.^[3] In April 2013, it's published the official biography of Pino Wilson, and the story of his entire football life up to the present day, the book is written by Vincenzo Di Michele with the title "Pino Wilson true captain of another era".^[4] He opened an Italian restaurant in his native Darlington named Casa di Chirico, after his grandmother's maiden name.

Club career

Internapoli and Lazio

He started his career with Internapoli in 1964-65 and he played for the side more than 150 times.^[5]

He joined SS Lazio in 1969. At Lazio he would enjoy his most notable spell as a footballer, staying with them for a decade playing over 300 games for them.^[5] This was a successful period for the club who won their first ever Serie A title in 1973–74 as well as the Coppa delle Alpi in 1971. The time he spent at Lazio gained him a place in the Italian national football team, and he was in the squad for the 1974 FIFA World Cup.

New York Cosmos

As his career wound down, Wilson spent a season in the United States, playing in the NASL league with the New York Cosmos during 1978, and winning the title.^[2] Wilson was named the Defensive Player of the game for Soccer Bowl '78^[6]

International career

Wilson's success with Lazio gained him a place in the Italian national football team, and he was in the squad for the 1974 FIFA World Cup. He made his debut in a friendly 0-0 draw against West Germany in 1974, and he made two appearances at the 1974 World Cup, making 3 appearances in total for Italy.^[7]

Honours

Lazio

• Coppa delle Alpi: 1971
• Serie A: 1973–74

New York Cosmos

• NASL: 1978

References

Italy squad – 1974 FIFA World Cup 1 Zoff 2 Spinosi 3 Facchetti (c) 4 Benetti 5 Morini 6 Burgnich 7 Mazzola 8 Capello 9 Chinaglia 10 Rivera 11 Riva 12 Albertosi 13 Sabadini 14 Bellugi 15 Wilson 16 Juliano 17 Re Cecconi 18 Causio 19 Anastasi 20 Boninsegna 21 Pulici 22 Castellini Coach: Valcareggi