Antonio Nocerino has become the newest European import to join Major League Soccer as the former AC Milan midfielder joined Orlando City this week. While Nocerino has spent the last two seasons shuttled between various teams in England and Italy, his experience and quality will provide Orlando City with a player that can link defense and attack; or score much needed goals from midfield.

With only three goals from central midfielders in 2015 – Darwin Ceren, two; Cristian Higuita, one – Nocerino will be deployed to improve the team in this area.

Brought up in Juventus’ youth academy, Nocerino signed with Palermo in 2008, playing over 100 matches for the Sicilian side. However, it wasn’t until 2011 when Nocerino was sold to AC Milan for just under $600,000 that the former Italy youth international showed his goal scoring capabilities and defensive tenacity.

Nocerino’s first season at San Siro saw the Italian play 35 times in Serie A, notching ten goals and registering an 84% pass success rate, according to Whoscored.com. Unfortunately, Nocerino’s playing time and stats dipped in the subsequent seasons. Although that can be partly attributed to coaching changes made at Milan and partly due to the sales of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Robinho and others.

“He suffered from Ibrahimovic’s departure, simple as that,” Gazzetta World editor Ogo Sylla explained.

“Beyond just Ibrahimovic leaving, lots of upheavals in both coaching and player staff meant he got lost in the shuffle.”

Last season, Nocerino split time between Parma and Torino on loan. His time at Parma was marred by the club’s financial situation as the Crociati went bankrupt. Despite not receiving his wages, Nocerino still played 20 matches for Parma, recording three goals and an assist for a team that sat in the Serie A relegation zone for 37 of the league’s 38 weeks.

The Italian midfielder will join Orlando City on preseason, fresh from Italy where he has only played 66 minutes of Serie A action in 2015/16. With yet another coaching change ahead of this season, Milan saw Nocerino as surplus to requirements. Fresh legs and nearly a full preseason will enable the Italian to bed in to the team and survive the long, arduous MLS season.

However, any supporter expecting another Sebastian Giovinco or Andrea Pirlo will be sorely disappointed. Nocerino is not of the second striker, creative variety of Giovinco, nor is he the deep-laying pinpoint passer that Pirlo is. Rather, Nocerino is a midfield engine that can not only log plenty of minutes, but play box-to-box. In short, his style is a perfect fit for the North American brand of soccer.

“A lot of people underestimate the physical nature of MLS and if Nocerino is anything, it’s an ultra-athletic player,” Sylla stated.

“Of course, he’ll need time to regain fitness, because he hasn’t played with much regularity. But I think Orlando fans should appreciate his grinta.

“The money in MLS is new and I’m sure players seeing how much Giovinco was earning in Toronto, the best paid Italian player, certainly gave Italian players ideas.

“Plus the fact that Giovinco’s performances in MLS also kept him in the Azzurri fold will be another thing players can feel reassured about in terms of making the MLS switch.”

According to Whoscored.com, Orlando City used a 4-2-3-1 formation 28 times last season, achieving 11 wins and 7 draws. Lions’ manager Adrian Heath’s preferred formation should suit Nocerino perfectly, as he can thriving at protecting the back four as one of the two defensive midfielders. Yet, he can get forward if his midfield partner sits to defend.

“Looking at the player on paper though, beyond being generous in his efforts, he’s a player who’s got a great long range shot and times his runs in the box very well,” Sylla remarked.

“He’s box-to-box and given he has got some goals in him, marketing and entertainment-wise, he’s a good pick up as far as defensive midfielders go.”

At only 30, Nocerino should have plenty left in the tank to for a squad that has an average age of 25.5. With an average attendance of over 32,000 in 2015, Orlando City is embarking on their second season in MLS, a year after narrowly missing the playoffs by five points. In a league of such narrow margins, Nocerino can make the difference between Orlando City making the playoffs or spending November and December on holiday.