Borini began his senior career at Chelsea after moving to England as a teenager, before gaining first-team experience on loan at Swansea City and Parma.
His breakthrough came at Roma, where he scored nine Serie A goals in 2011-12 and earned a place in Italy's squad for Euro 2012.
That form led to a move to Liverpool, where he reunited with Brendan Rodgers, who had previously worked with him at Chelsea and Swansea.
Borini made 38 appearances for Liverpool between 2012 and 2015, scoring three goals. He spent the 2013-14 season on loan at Sunderland before returning to Liverpool and later completing a permanent move to the Black Cats.
Sunderland became an important part of Borini's career. He scored 17 goals across his 93 appearances for the club, including a goal in the 2014 League Cup final during his loan spell from Liverpool.
He then moved back to Italy, joining AC Milan initially on loan before making the transfer permanent. After three seasons at Milan, Borini joined Hellas Verona in January 2020.
His career subsequently took him to Turkey with Fatih Karagümrük, where he enjoyed one of his most productive spells, scoring 31 league goals across three seasons.
Borini returned to Italy with Sampdoria in 2023, spending two seasons in Serie B before finishing his playing career at Salford City in England.
His final club was therefore another English one, bringing his career full circle after his formative years at Chelsea, Swansea and Liverpool.
Borini announced his retirement in an emotional social media message reflecting on the journey that began when he was 16.
“It all started with a flight,” he wrote. “When I was 16 years old.”
He recalled sitting on the plane in tears as he left to begin a career whose destination was unclear beyond the dreams he wanted to fulfil.
“A flight spent entirely with tears in my eyes to begin the journey of my career without a real destination beyond the dreams I wanted to achieve.”
Borini said he had built those dreams in his head before eventually turning them into reality.
“From that day I began to build myself, not knowing what would become of that child with a strong mentality. I started building my dreams in my head and ended up turning them into my reality.”
Now facing life without football, Borini says the uncertainty is familiar.
“Today, like that day sitting on the plane to London, I feel the same emotions about what will become of me.”
He finished by thanking the younger version of himself for never giving up on those ambitions.
“I feel like thanking that child who never stopped believing,” Borini wrote. “That man will now continue to believe in the next opportunity, without the ball at his feet, always.”
“Thank you. Thank you, football.”