The evening of May 31st, 2016, was certainly a disappointing one for Sebastian Giovinco. The 2016 UEFA European Championship in France was right around the corner, and Giovinco (once a player for present Italian National team head coach Antonio Conte at Juventus), sat patiently waiting for a phone call. When the phone rang, however, it was not the decision the attacker was expecting: he had been left out of the 23-player squad, behind the likes of Eder, Immobile, Insigne, Pellè, and Zaza.

This was a problem that also continued in the future: when Gian Piero Ventura was chosen to succeed Conte, many thought the chance to recall the Italian would have been completed, but the exact opposite occurred; the need to include quality in attack never corresponded to the surname of Giovinco. A career started from the highest point was not enough for the two managers: in addition to two Scudetti and two Supercoppe won with Juventus, he also played with the Azzurri in the Under-21 squad and the senior team, and after a final lost at the 2012 European Championship, he wanted to make it up to his nation. But no matter how many goals and assists he totaled, he was always sidelined, kept to the bleachers.

Now, 3-years since his last appearance in the Azzurro colors, Giovinco has finally been recalled by new manager Roberto Mancini to take part in the matches over the International Break.

The Empty Passage of Giovinco's Under-21 Adventure

Consigli, M. Motta, Bocchetti, Andreolli, Criscito, Morosini, Cigarini, Balotelli, Giovinco, Candreva, Acquafresca - this was Pierluigi Casiraghi Italian Under-21 side that was eliminated in the semifinals at the 2009 European Under-21 Championship. The nation who defeated them was that of Germany, who contained the likes of Neuer, Boateng, Hummels, Höwedes, Khedira, Ozil - some of the pillars of the German squad who won the World Cup in Brazil just five years later. This was the just the beginning of Italian Calcio's downfall, however, as just a year later (after winning the World Cup in 2006), the senior team crashed out of the 2010 World Cup in the group stage.

The Atomic Ant

The MLS (Major League Soccer) and more specifically TFC (Toronto Football Club) have done wonders for the Italian attacker. Disappointed by Italy and how his career at Juventus was playing out, Giovinco found total recognition of the talent in North America. In the emerging championship - that in 2015 was seen as the final landing spot for many former champions reaching the latter years of their career - Seba arrived at the age of 28, a choice against many individuals, especially after refusing Barcelona.

"I would have been a ball to Messi, Suarez, and Neymar" - Sebastian Giovinco

When he arrived in the league, he was one of the strongest and highest paid players: he won an excessive amount of individual prizes and took the league by storm. This rise to fame in North America has continued and last year Toronto won the league for the first time thanks to the help of the Atomic Ant. He has tried several times to regain his Italy call-up: every now and then he has been seen worldwide for his dribbling, passing, and goalscoring ability, but as he is playing in North America, his 82 goals in 139 games whilst with TFC in all competitions has still been deemed 'not good enough'.

The EURO 2020 Objective

Seba has had to put up many goals and assists to be presented with a return ticket to the National team by Mancini. As a migrant who returns home showing how much proper work he has done while away, at the age of 31, the attacker will finally get his return to showcase himself for his nation. In addition, with a mindset looking at the future, two years remain until the UEFA Euro 2020 championship and Giovinco will want to be there to return to play in an international competition with Italy.

The MLS has forged a more complete player of Sebastian Giovinco and as Italy continues to search for a number nine, the Toronto superstar may be the one to help the nation.