Exclusive Interview with Danilo Orsi: Crawley Town's Star Striker Explains His Unusual Rise from Non-league to the EFL

Danilo Orsi never thought he would become a professional footballer.

The Crawley striker grew up in north London and played in the Cockfosters non-league team while studying at A-levels. He was content to balance the semi-professional career with the IT job he wanted to take in the city.

Until a phone call changed everything.

“I got a call asking if I wanted to go to America for six weeks and take part in a tournament for one of my old coaches,” he says Sky Sports.

“My mother was the one who pushed me and told me that if I was going to work for the rest of my life then I should go and experience it.

“I went out there, scored a few goals, won a few tournaments and one thing led to another – I ended up staying out there for three and a half years!”

In the USA, he studied business administration at Eastern Florida State College, played football there and spent time with the Chivas USA U19 and Fort Lauderdale Strikers U23 teams.

Legendary Brazilian striker Ronaldo was part of the latter’s ownership group at the time, but although Orsi was not with him, he did meet another former Brazil international.

“[Ex-Man Utd midfielder] Kleberson was in the first team at the time, so I had a little contact with him, but when we played there was a bit of a language barrier.

“It was absolutely cool, especially back when I wasn’t thinking about a football career. Seeing him every day and seeing what he did really opened my eyes and I learned a lot from it.”

“It was just a fantastic experience, not only on the pitch but also off the pitch. It helped me develop as a character. I was 19 when I got out there, so it made me grow up a lot quicker and make some friends for life.”

Orsi returned to the UK in 2018 and returned to the non-league scene with East Thurrock United, Hungerford Town, Hampton & Richmond and Maidenhead United, while also working for his uncle’s plumbing company on his days off.

He scored 19 goals in 39 games in his first season in the National League with the last of those four clubs and moved to second division side Harrogate in the summer of 2021, which he describes as his “proudest moment”.

“It was so special to see my family’s faces and know that I had finally achieved what we all wanted from me,” he adds.

At this point in the interview it is usually the journalist – somewhat sluggishly – who asks the player if he is inspired by Jamie Vardy’s rise from the Northern Premier League to the Premier League in just six seasons.

But it is actually Orsi who raises the issue on this occasion. He has big ambitions.

“As an Arsenal fan I looked up to Thierry Henry and what he has done, but more recently I would probably say Vardy and what he has achieved in the last decade.”

“He was one of the first to really hit the ground running after returning from non-league and fight his way through the levels. Even though our games are a little different, I thought about repeating what he did and trying to advance as high as possible.”

“It inspired me a lot and when I was playing in non-league, in my head it was about playing full time as much as possible and knowing that if I did things right I could have a chance of progressing. “through the leagues.

After Harrogate – and a six-month loan spell at Boreham Wood – he spent last season at Grimsby, where it’s fair to say he played a minor role in the league, starting just five times all season .

However, he played an important role in the Mariners’ historic push to the FA Cup quarter-finals, scoring once and providing three assists in five games as they beat Luton and Southampton before bouncing back in a 5-0 away defeat Brighton was brought back to earth.

In the summer, Crawley signed the striker for an undisclosed fee and was immediately given the number 9 shirt, showing that manager Scott Lindsey was willing to give him the chance to show that he might not have been entitled to do so at Grimsby .

In his press conference ahead of MK Dons’ visit to the League Two play-off semi-final first leg on Monday, Lindsey said he would “run through a brick wall” for Orsi, who insists the entire squad would do the same as their boss.

“He is such a person and has developed a strong bond with us,” says Orsi.

“The way he wants to play suits me and he has a fantastic team by his side, everyone always wants to help you. I worked with him a lot.” [first team coach] Carl Laraman in and around the box this year which filled me with confidence.

“As a striker, if you know that you can get a series of games in order to score a few goals, you don’t have to worry about being cornered if you don’t score and won’t play the next one.

“At the start of the season I missed a chance at Swindon and we lost the game. First thing Monday morning he pulled me and told me not to worry about it. He could see I was beating myself up about it, but I was capable of scoring a goal so he wasn’t going to drop me for that.

“At that moment I really stepped on the gas and from then on I got into goalscoring form.”

Orsi can hardly hide his pride when reminded of his 25 goal involvements in all competitions so far this season, which have come in the form of 21 goals and four assists so far.

He’s particularly pleased that LEGO subscription service Brick Borrow has donated £50 to the Crawley Town Community Foundation every time he scores a goal and launches his Ors-ing Around celebration.

It is one of the actions that saw him named Crawley’s PFA Community Champion for 2023/24.

“Growing up, I always said that when I step into the position of a professional footballer, the first thing I want to do is help the community and the guys who are trying to get into the position I’m in now,” he said adding.

“I did a few coaching sessions with the community boys and told them it doesn’t matter if you haven’t played academy football because I haven’t and I’m capable of living my dream , so there’s no reason why they’re “tipping.”

No one is happier to see him live this dream than his family. He is half-Italian and this close bond means a lot to him.

“The boys joke about it quite often as I usually have about 20 of them here in the stands!”

“They’re only about an hour away so they all come over and as it’s a big Italian family there are quite a few of them!”

“I go to my grandparents’ house on Sundays and I’m usually debriefed by my grandpa! Having them here and seeing them enjoying it puts a smile on my face too.”

On Monday afternoon, live on Sky Sports FootballTown welcome Mike Williamson’s side, who scored 20 goals in the final six games of the season, to the Broadfield Stadium.

There is a battle between Crawley and the play-off final at Wembley – and maybe, just maybe, a return to Sky Bet League One for the first time in nine years.

Orsi smiles as he imagines the view.

“I can hardly wait – the break between the end of the season and the first game is almost too long!” he says.

I would have liked it to be three or four days later, but the boys are in a good mood and there is a really good hustle and bustle here.

“It will be a really good football game as we are two teams with a really exciting style of play. Both teams want to play football, both teams have a similar system.”

“I think it will just come down to who is better in the two games. We’re happy to be home first where we can get the fans behind us and hopefully get a positive result that can get us back to their place.”

The next chapter of Danilo Orsi’s brilliant story is about to be written.

Watch the Sky Bet League Two play-off semi-final first leg between Crawley and MK Dons live on Sky Sports Football from 2:30pm on Monday. Kick-off 3 p.m.

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