Who is Federico Macheda?

If fans across the globe had not heard of Federico Macheda before his wonder goal against Aston Villa, they certainly have now.

The 17-year-old Italian announced his arrival in English football with a dramatic and decisive injury-time curler, which gave Manchester United a 3-2 win and took them back to the top of the Premier League table.

But who is the player known at Old Trafford as Kiko Macheda and where did he come from?

Macheda was born in Rome in 1991 and began his footballing life at Lazio, where he would have stayed had it not been for Italian football regulations, which prevented under-18s signing professional terms.

Macheda had already been spotted by United's vast scouting network during his early teens and, sensing an opportunity, they got their man.

The striker was only 16 when he signed for United as a trainee in September 2007, a move that caused uproar at Lazio, who rated him so highly they had taken him to the senior squad's pre-season camp in the summer of that same year.

"Manchester United - as they have done in the past with other promising Italian players like Giusseppe Rossi - came in early and offered Kiko a contract as an apprentice," Giancarlo Galavotti of Italian daily newspaper La Gazetta dello Sport, told BBC Sport.

"Whatever happens in his future career he will remain among the legends of Manchester United. It was a goal that at the end of the season will make the difference between United winning and losing the title."

Lazio chairman Claudio Lotito is critical of United's approach for the youngster, and believes academy players should be protected from the advances of overseas clubs until they are 18.

"We tried in every way to stop Manchester United from taking away our player but the present Italian regulations don't give you any type of defence," Lotito said.

"In reality we find ourselves in front of a proper cattle market.

"I talked repeatedly with Macheda's parents, we established a dialogue, but it was not possible to do anything. We could not compete with United's offer.

"That is not right, we have to be provided with more reliable and concrete rules than those which govern Italian clubs."

He moved to Manchester with his family - his father Pasquale, his mother Loridanna and his younger brother Simone.