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Jan 14
2009
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Alexandre Pato has become one of Serie A's most prominent players during the last calendar year. The young Brazilian has just completed his first year at AC Milan and with his lightning speed, unique technical skills, great finishing and outstanding reading of the game; the forward has done nothing to diminish his €22 million price tag.
Alexandre Pato, whose real name is Alexandre Rodrigues da Silva received his shirt name due to his hometown being Pato Branco-which in both Spanish and Portuguese means "duck."
Pato started playing futsal at the early age of four and become known in the Parana region due to his unique skills. At the age of seven the young talent switched to football and went off to play for Gremiô Industrial Pato Branquese-a sister club to Gremiô.
However, things haven't always been easy for "The Duck." In 2000, young Pato at a mere 10 years of age was brought to the doctors with a broken arm. The doctor found something else too-a tumor that would have been cancerous had it not been removed within two months.