Fabio Borini has had an impressive career, with his clubs including Chelsea, Roma, Liverpool, Sunderland, AC Milan and most recently Sampdoria. He also has a cherished Italy cap from a friendly against the USA in 2012. So, at the age of 34, what is the attraction of a crisp morning in Salford? What is the inner drive that took him to the League Two side's training ground early, to begin preparations for what could be a first competitive start for the club - made famous when it was bought by members of Manchester United's Class of '92 - in the FA Cup against Lincoln? What is it that meant he cheerfully and patiently sat outside in his shorts, on a training pitch, having arrived earlier than scheduled for our interview, even though he had to wipe his nose on more than one occasion as the temperature began to bite? "You can call it the buzz," he told BBC Sport. "You could call it adrenaline. You could even call it addiction. "It is an addiction for professional athletes at the highest level, to look for the feelings they can try and explain to people who don't live it themselves.

"People say 'you are doing the best job in the world but when it stops you will feel it'. So, you try and make the best of it. The buzz is incomparable to anything else you can try. Nothing can be the same. "It doesn't change. I was the first one into training when I was 21 and I am still the first one in now I am 34. I do the extra work and probably look after myself more than I did before." Borini's presence at the Littleton Road training ground still used by Manchester United's academy is a result of the inspired initiative by the Professional Footballers Association (PFA) to run a series of pre-season camps for out-of-contract players.

At the end of the camps, Salford City assistant Manager Alex Bruce, someone Borini had known for a number of years, invited him down to continue his training in a competitive environment. Bruce describes the offer as a "no-brainer". Borini enjoyed it enough to sign a short-term deal. "I told them whatever they put on the table was going to be good for me because I want to play football and we go on from there," he said. "What the PFA has done with this initiative is very helpful. It gives players the opportunity to stay fit the best way possible, with the facilities they provided.

"It is also a great opportunity to be seen, which is why Alex and other clubs texted me to say they were interested. I suppose it was the same for other players. "If you train at home in your own back garden, no one is going to see you." Having committed to Salford, Borini then began to delve into the history of the club and their journey from the Northern Premier League First Division North to League Two via four promotions in five seasons. He would also know the club has been stuck in League Two since 2019 and has recently had a change of ownership which means that of the famous Manchester United group of players, only David Beckham and Gary Neville still have a financial investment.

Not that the link has been severed - Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes were both present as Borini and his team-mates began their latest training session. Maybe unsurprisingly given his huge number of personal commitments, Neville is the only one of Salford's famous historical ownership group he has not met. "It is important for players to understand and get to know the history of their clubs," said Borini. "You need to be able to understand the heart and soul of this area before you become a player because I feel you are expected to put that on to the field."

In Borini's words, Salford are "not like any League Two club". He says the infrastructure and the footballing background of the most visual backers make it feel bigger. Nevertheless, it is a world away from the likes of AC Milan, where he made 72 appearances in a two-year stint to 2020, and while he has only had a couple of cameo substitute outings so far, he knows his backstory will attract attention. "I had a little taste already," he said. "Target is not the right word but maybe opponents look at you in a different way. "For me that is motivating. I reckon everyone wanted to play against Salford before I came here, because of the background, because of the football people.

"Now they have something more to look forward to, which is playing players like me. "It is challenging for me to keep the same level and it is challenging for the team to raise our level even more because the lights are on us. To make sure the lights stay on, you have to perform and you have to get results." Borini plans to keep playing for two or three years and says mentally and physically the engine is still running when it comes to his fitness. He still has aims, even if replicating Liverpool's run to the 2015 FA Cup semi-finals, when Borini was part of the squad beaten by Aston Villa in the last four, is unlikely. More realistic is a potential place in the third round, and the possibility of a return to Anfield or the Stadium of Light.

"It is a goal I would like to fulfil," he said. "It would be nice to relive some experiences in those stadiums, with the warmth of the club. That sticks with you forever."