He is the hot-headed striker who has turned into Italy's Mr Reliable - Antonio Cassano was raising hell before Mario Balotelli was old enough to light his own fireworks.

Now he is the sensible one in the odd-couple strike partnership that will face England.

'If we're counting on me to keep Mario on the straight and narrow then we are in a bad way,' he said last week.

But with the Manchester City player so unpredictable, Italy are indeed depending on the soon-to-be 30-year-old to keep his head against John Terry and Joleon Lescott.

Cassano's name will among the first on Cesare Prandelli's teamsheet in Kiev - a far cry from the days at Real Madrid when he was either screaming in the face of boss Fabio Capello or imitating him behind his back, both of which earned him more time out of the team than in it. Cassano has always courted controversy.

Capello was coach when Roma signed him as an 18-year-old.

But for every moment of genius there was one of madness.

He was sent off in the Italian Cup final in 2003 against AC Milan for dissent, insulting the match official as he left the pitch.

Roma off-loaded him to Real Madrid in 2005 for £5million and, six months later, Capello was his boss again, in Spain.

Cassano enjoyed himself at Madrid, though rather more off the pitch than on it.

'I've slept with 600-700 women,' he claimed in his autobiography.

'It was easier in Madrid because you could invite them to your hotel. One waiter was my friend. After the sex he'd bring me four croissants and I'd swap them for the girl.'

He had a blazing row with Capello in the dressing room after a game against Tarragona in which he was an unused substitute.

He said: 'I told him he was as false as Monopoly money.'

When he was finally pardoned he re-offended, being caught on camera imitating, and complaining about, his boss before a game in which he did not play.

Sampdoria took him on loan but there was more indiscipline.

He was sent off in one game and threw his shirt at the referee, landing a five-match ban.

The club still made his deal permanent but lived to regret it when he insulted president Riccardo Garrone.

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