| Bove playing for Roma in 2021 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 16 May 2002 | ||
| Place of birth | Rome, Italy | ||
| Height | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in) [1] | ||
| Position | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Watford | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2012–2021 | Roma | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2021–2026 | Roma | 65 | (2) |
| 2024–2025 | → Fiorentina (loan) | 12 | (1) |
| 2026– | Watford | 0 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2018 | Italy U16 | 7 | (0) |
| 2019–2020 | Italy U18 | 5 | (1) |
| 2021 | Italy U20 | 6 | (2) |
| 2022–2024 | Italy U21 | 14 | (1) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 25 May 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 10 September 2024 | |||
Edoardo Bove (born 16 May 2002) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for English EFL Championship club Watford.
Edoardo Bove was born in Rome. Bove's paternal family is originally from Naples, while his mother is German-Italian. [2] Bove grew up in the quartiere of Appio-Latino, and studied at the Massimo Institute in Rome's neighborhood EUR. [3] [4] Subsequently, he continued his studies at Luiss 'Guido Carli', in Rome, enrolling in a degree course in Economics and Management. [5] In an interview, Bove stated that he was inspired by Roma's former captain Daniele De Rossi. [3] [6]
Bove started playing football in the Roman club of Boreale Donorione until 2012, when he joined Roma after following a successful trial under the supervision of Bruno Conti. [3] On 20 November 2020, Bove extended his contract with Roma until 2024. [7]
Bove was first called up by the first team on 3 December for a Europa League match against Young Boys without making his debut. [8] Bove made his professional debut for Roma on the 9 May 2021, replacing Ebrima Darboe in the second half of a 5–0 Serie A win against Crotone at the Stadio Olimpico. [9] In the 2021–22 season, Bove was often called up by Roma's coach José Mourinho. [10] He made his first Conference League match on 9 December as a starter in a 3–2 win against CSKA Sofia. [11]
On 29 December, Roma announced that his contract would be extended until 2025. [12] On 19 February 2022, Bove scored his first senior goal allowing Roma to draw 2–2 against Verona. [13]
On 15 December 2023, Bove extended his contract with Roma until 2028. [14]
On 30 August 2024, he joined fellow Serie A club Fiorentina on a season-long loan, with an option to make the move permanent. [15] On 27 October, Bove scored his first goal for Fiorentina against his parent club Roma in a 5–1 home victory. [16]
On 1 December 2024, Bove collapsed during Fiorentina’s match against Inter Milan. [17] The following morning, journalist Matteo Dovellini for the newspaper la Repubblica reported that Bove had been "extubated", was "lucid", and had no cerebral or cardiac damage. [18]
As a result of this event, he underwent surgery for the implantation of a subcutaneous implantable defibrillator. According to Italian regulations, with this device he is not allowed to engage in competitive sports. [19]
On 9 January 2026, Edoardo Bove terminated his contract with Roma. [20]
On 21 January 2026, Bove signed a five-and-a-half-year contract with Watford in England's second-tier EFL Championship. [21]
Bove is a mezzala or trequartista who is good at offensive insertions and tactically disciplined. He also has a good technique and an eye for the goal. [3] [6]
During his second season at Roma, José Mourinho labeled Bove a "sick dog", due to his intensity and aggressiveness on the pitch, a nickname that quickly became popular among fans. [22] [23]
Off the pitch, Bove enrolled in an economics and management course at Luiss University in Rome, studying part-time, after achieving the highest possible score on his school-leaving tests. [18]
In 2025, he was a guest on the fifth night of the Sanremo Music Festival. [24]
| Club | Season | League | National cup [a] | Europe | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goal | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Roma | 2020–21 | Serie A | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2021–22 | Serie A | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 [b] | 0 | 13 | 1 | |
| 2022–23 | Serie A | 22 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 10 [c] | 1 | 33 | 2 | |
| 2023–24 | Serie A | 31 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 12 [c] | 1 | 45 | 1 | |
| Total | 65 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 24 | 2 | 92 | 4 | ||
| Fiorentina (loan) | 2024–25 | Serie A | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 [d] | 0 | 15 | 1 |
| Watford | 2025–26 | EFL Championship | 0 | 0 | – | – | 0 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 77 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 27 | 2 | 107 | 5 | ||
Roma