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With all due respect to the above three players the returning hero is Daniel Gabbidon, Cardiff City's centre half will be back to the day job on the weekend when City travel to Blackpool where they have not won since 1968, but last night he was the brick wall that along with Andy Melville kept Del Pierro et al at bay.
Gabbidon was the only players in the starting line up who is not playing in the Premiership, he's not even the division below it but second division and his class belied his club status.
There is no way that Gabbidon's class can be overlooked for much longer. If ever there was a proverbial shop window for a player to play in it was at the Millennium Stadium last night against one of the most famous footballing nations in the world. City have him on a long term contract and Sam has said we are not a selling club. With the transfer window opening in January what chance a bid for the defender?
Gabbidon himself told the Echo about his apparant clamness when facing the multi million pound Italians.
"That's my natural style of play. Maybe I look calm even when I don't feel it. You can't go out thinking he's a £30m player. He's a human being just like me. I just played at my best and things went well. Beating Italy in front of such a passionate Welsh crowd made it by far the best night of my life. It's the stuff dreams are made of. It was absolutely unbelievable."
Gabbidon now has to reproduce the same form for Cardiff City this weekend,
"How I move from an emotional night like this to the reality of playing Blackpool with Cardiff City in front of a fraction of this crowd I just don't know. It sounds a bit of a comedown, but Saturday's match at Blackpool is hugely important. It is vital Cardiff City go up this season and that makes the long trip to Blackpool so important. I want to play for Cardiff and that means putting this Welsh win out of my mind and concentrating on my club."
But no one can deny him his night of magic and the lad deserves all the praise he can get
"It wasn't that long ago I was sitting at home watching Del Piero playing for Juventus on television. Now I've played against him in a Wales team who defeated Italy. I did okay last season and I didn't think it could get much better, but it doesn't seem to stop. Personally, I was pleased to come out having played pretty well. Thankfully, I didn't do too much wrong."
Blackpool v Cardiff City.
Bloomfield Rd, Blackpool.
Saturday October 19th, ko 3:00pm.