Given the whirlwind football journey he’s been on, it is fortunate that Alessandro Circati displays the same level of calmness and composure off the pitch as he does while patrolling the heart of the defence.
Earlier this week, the Socceroos defender moved from Italian side Parma to Portuguese giants Benfica in a deal reportedly worth $33m, continuing a remarkable journey, the roots of which are firmly planted in the PGFC Academy.
In completing that lucrative switch, he became the PGFC Academy’s greatest ever export and his transfer fee also eclipsed that of his Socceroos teammate and former Brisbane Roar Academy graduate, Lucas Herrington.
Having played his first football with Perth Azzurri while also participating in the Glory Development Centre program, Circati duly progressed into the PGFC Academy in 2017 where he swiftly established himself as a rising star.
Moving up from the junior Academy into the Senior ranks, he adapted seamlessly to the demands of NPL football, collecting a raft of silverware with the Under-20s and taking out the Most Glorious Youth Player Award in 2020.
It therefore came as no surprise when overseas clubs began to take an interest in the talented teenager and after a successful trial period, he completed a switch to Parma.
In doing so, he followed a well-established pathway from the PGFC Academy to overseas clubs and Glory’s own senior ranks.
From Jacob Italiano and James Overy to Daniel Bennie and Jaylan Pearman, the list of talented WA players developing through the PGFC Academy system and securing high-profile moves abroad is a long and illustrious one.
And the story is similar when it comes to progressing from the Academy into Glory’s A-League team, with the current squad containing the likes of Tadi Kuzamba, Ollie Evans, Sebastian Despotovski, Andriano Lebib and Giovanni De Abreu.
Having reaped the rewards of being a part of WA’s only professional pathway, Circati’s rapid ascent continued with a first-team debut for Parma arriving in February 2022 and during the 2023/24 season, he made 29 appearances as Emilia-Romagna side secured promotion back to Serie A.
By this time, the Perth local had already been handed his first Socceroos cap and Head Coach Tony Popovic then showed incredible faith in Circati’s maturity and leadership qualities by naming him captain in what was just his seventh appearance at international level.
2025/26 saw the newly-appointed Socceroos skipper establish himself as a cornerstone of the Parma defence as Carlos Cuesta’s side secured a solid 13th-place finish before the game’s biggest stage beckoned.
He went on to start and play every minute of Australia’s four games at this year’s FIFA World Cup and his performances in North America clearly struck a chord with Benfica who spent big to lure him to the Portuguese capital.
Just five years after taking on the likes of Armadale and Inglewood with the PGFC Academy, Circati was lining up against Juventus, Inter and Napoli and in the coming months, will experience the UEFA Champions League for the first time.
The evidence suggests that he will take this step up very much in his stride, as he has done with every new challenge in his career.
The fact that Benfica’s new $33m man was moulded at Perth Glory can only serve to inspire the current crop of talented PGFC Academy players.
And that inspiration will be provided in tangible form from next year with the introduction of a new Most Glorious Academy Player Award, the Alessandro Circati Medal.
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