Laurence Giani

Laurence Giani
Personal information
Full name Laurence Adam Giani
Date of birth (2008-03-11) 11 March 2008
Place of birth Crewe, England
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position Defender
Team information
Current team
Stoke City
Youth career
Stoke City
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2024– Stoke City 0 (0)
International career‡
2024– Italy U17 12 (0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals
‡ National team caps and goals as of 29 May 2025

Laurence Adam Giani (born 11 March 2008) is a footballer who plays as a defender for EFL Championship club Stoke City. Born in England, he is an Italy youth international.

Early life

Giani was born on 11 March 2008 in Crewe, England and grew up in Northwich, England.[1] The son of Marcello Giani, he has two older brothers. Growing up, he regarded Italy international Paolo Maldini as his football idol and was a supporter of Serie A side AC Milan.[2]

Club career

As a youth player, Giani joined the academy of English side Stoke City and was promoted to the club's senior team in 2024. On 29 October 2024, he was named on the bench of the senior team for the first time during a 2–3 away loss to Southampton in the EFL Cup.

International career

Giani is an Italy youth international. During the summer of 2025, he played for the Italy national under-17 football team at the 2025 UEFA European Under-17 Championship.[3]

Style of play

Giani plays as a defender and is left-footed. Italian news website MondoPrimavera wrote in 2025 that he "stands out for his speed, intensity, and good physical strength, considering his 178 cm height. These qualities allow him to be effective both defensively and offensively. He also has excellent footwork".[4]

Career statistics

As of match played 25 August 2026
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Stoke City 2026–27[5] Championship 000010—10
Career total 0000100010

References

  1. ↑ "The homegrown Stoke City left-back hoping to help Italy be crowned European champions". Stoke Sentinel. 29 May 2025. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
  2. ↑ "Chi è Laurence Giani, la freccia azzurra dello Stoke: fra il Milan, Maldini e l'esordio già sfiorato in Inghilterra" [Who is Laurence Giani, Stoke's blue arrow: between AC Milan, Maldini, and the debut he almost made in England?] (in Italian). Calciomercato.com. 5 April 2025. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
  3. ↑ "Italia pronta a difendere il titolo europeo: i 20 prescelti di Massimiliano Favo per la fase finale in Albania". Italian Football Federation (in Italian). 15 May 2025.
  4. ↑ "Chi è Laurence Giani, l'italo-inglese dello Stoke City che si ispira a Maldini" [Who is Laurence Giani, the Italian-English Stoke City player who draws inspiration from Maldini?] (in Italian). MondoPrimavera. 18 May 2025. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
  5. ↑ "Games played by Laurence Giani in 2026/2027". Soccerbase. Centurycomm.