Liberato Cacace
Liberato Gianpaolo Cacace ( ; born 27 September 2000) is a New Zealand professional footballer who plays as a left-back for club Empoli, on loan from Belgian First Division A club Sint-Truiden, and the New Zealand national team. Club career. Island Bay. As a youth, Cacace played for Island Bay United and was also a representative player of Capital Football for two years in their 1999 squad. He was chosen by former Wellington Phoenix and All Whites coach Ricki Herbert to be part of his junior elite academy. Cacace also played for his school team at St Patrick 's College in Wellington, alongside South Sudan international Manyumow Achol. Cacace helped his college team win the Wellington Premier Youth football league, scoring in the 2–1 final against Hutt International Boys' School. Wellington Phoenix Reserves. Cacace started playing for the Wellington Phoenix Reserves in the New Zealand Football Championship in the 2016–2017 season, making 8 appearances, including 4 starts. During the winter season, Cacace played with Wellington Phoenix feeder club Wellington United in the local Central League. Wellington Phoenix. On 2 February 2018, Cacace made his debut for the senior side, coming on as a substitute in a 4–0 defeat  against Sydney FC in the A-League. Following the end of the 2017-18 A-League season, and having made seven appearances for the club, Cacace signed a three-year professional contract with Wellington Phoenix. In the 2018–19 season, following the departure of Scott Galloway and injury to Tom Doyle, Cacace became the first-choice left-back under new manager Mark Rudan, one month after his 18th birthday. Cacace scored his maiden A-League goal against Central Coast Mariners in an 8-2 victory on 9 March 2019. After playing more minutes than any other Wellington Phoenix player that season , Cacace won the club's Young Player of the Year award ahead of fellow starter Sarpreet Singh. The following season, Cacace established himself as one of Wellington's most important players, with captain Steven Taylor calling him "the best left-back in the league without a shadow of a doubt". On 8 March 2020, Cacace played his 50th game for Wellington Phoenix against Central Coast Mariners, the youngest player in the club's history to do so. Sint-Truiden. After a stellar season with the Wellington Phoenix, Cacace signed a three year contract with Sint-Truiden for a suspected transfer  fee of around €1.2 million. Loan to Empoli. On 31 January 2022, Cacace joined Italian Serie A club Empoli on loan, with a conditional obligation to buy. International career. Cacace was part of the New Zealand U-17 team that won the 2017 OFC U-17 Championship, where he scored one goal. This meant that the team qualified for the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup in India. Cacace then played at the FIFA U-17 World Cup, making his World Cup debut in the 1–1 draw with Turkey, before starting again in a 4–2 loss to Paraguay and a 3–1 loss to  Mali. Cacace was selected to join the All Whites squad in the 2018 Intercontinental Cup in June 2018. He made his All Whites debut in Mumbai on 5 June 2018, against Chinese Taipei, in a 1-0 victory. Cacace scored the opening goal at the 2020 Summer Olympics in New Zealand's 2–3 loss to Honduras. Cacace scored against Tahiti in a 1-0 win in the semi-finals of the OFC FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Personal life. Cacace was born in Wellington to an Italian father and a New Zealand mother of Italian descent. His father Antonio arrived in  the country in 1992 from Massa Lubrense, a small commune in Naples, and operates "La Bella Italia", an Italian restaurant located in Petone. He attended St Patrick's College. Cacace supports his father's hometown team, Napoli. Honours. New Zealand U17 Individual