History for Inter's "engine" Dimarco: Serie A record breaker & best playmaker

If some conducted a survey with a simple question: Who is the most essential Inter Milan player?, several players would get the most votes - the captain Lautaro Martinez, the ruthless scorer Marcus Thuram, the team's brain Hakan Calhanoglu, the crucial defensive pillar Alessandro Bastoni, or the reliable custodian Yann Sommer.

Hardly anyone would remember Federico Dimarco.

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And that's okay. The 28-year-old is, above all, the Nerazzurri's silent and, in most cases, unsung hero.

However, once in a while, the wing-back comes into the spotlight, and when that happens, he has to be given a well-deserved credit.

Namely, as of Saturday, Dimarco's name is written down in the Italian football's history books, as he has become the player with the most assists in a single Serie A campaign, breaking Alejandro "Papu" Gomez's record from six years ago when the Argentinian wore Atalanta's jersey.

In a 2-2 draw against Torino, he provided assists for both Inter's goals, reaching the outstanding tally of 18 key passes four rounds before the end of the season.

To put things into perspective, the Premier League record-holders, Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne, each provided 20 assists in a single season, though their record is seriously at risk, given that Bruno Fernandes is currently on 19 and has four games to play.

That's Dimarco's company. As prestigious as it gets.

Inter found the net 80 times in the ongoing Serie A campaign, and the Italy international set up over 20% of their goals. That speaks volumes.

Despite this incredible achievement, Dimarco will never come to mind instantly when someone thinks of the Nerazzurri. He'll never be the biggest star. But he's undoubtedly earned respect.

After all, looking at a luxurious car, people first see its colour, shape, seats, wheels... And the engine? It's under the hood. Hidden, but vital. That's Federico Dimarco for Inter.