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Kevin-Prince Boateng

Jumat, 29 April 2011.
 
Full name Kevin-Prince Boateng
Date of birth 6 March 1987 (1987-03-06) (age 24)
Place of birth Wedding, West Germany
Height 1.87 m (6 ft 1 12 in)
Playing position Midfielder

Kevin-Prince Boateng (born 6 March 1987), is a German born Ghanaian footballer who plays as a midfielder for Serie A club Milan
Boateng is also a member of the Ghanaian national team, having earned seven caps and scoring one goal.

Club career

A player with dual German-Ghanaian (since 2010) nationality, Boateng is a central midfielder. He has been described as having "skill and pace complemented by advanced tactical awareness and a powerful physique."[1] He started his career with the youth club Reinickendorfer Füchse, and then signed for Hertha BSC.

Hertha BSC

Boateng was with Hertha from 1 July 1994 when he was just seven years old to 31 July 2007. After emerging from the youth team set-up, he played for the reserves for two seasons. He was twice sent off, but he won a call-up to the first team squad in the 2005–06 season. He made his debut against Eintracht Frankfurt in the second round of the 2005–06 Bundesliga season, being brought on at the start of the second half. He impressed during that game, and was on the fringe of the first team from then on, despite barely being 18 years old. Boateng continued his rise, and started his first Bundesliga game in the 2–2 draw against Borussia Mönchengladbach in the 14th round of the Bundesliga season.
Boateng identifies Pelé and Rivaldo as his role models, occasionally imitating the Brazilian duo with crowd-pleasing moments.[2] His love of playing to the gallery draws applause, but has also attracted a fair share of criticism too. The Germany Under-19 coach, Uli Stielike, said about him, "At senior level, Kevin will need to wean himself off the world of fantasy football." He has since cut down on those antics.
On 27 July 2006, Boateng was awarded the Fritz Walter Gold Medal in the Under-19 category. The medal is awarded on the basis of performances for the German Under-17, Under-18 and Under-19 national teams. A jury consisting of German Football Association (DFB), youth coaches, and members of the DFB Board, put Boateng top of the poll.[3] Sport director Matthias Sammer and DFB coach Horst Hrubesch honored the talented player with the gold prize winner award and the 20,000 Euro prize-money[4] at the Stadtbauraum, Gelsenkirchen in Germany on 16 August 2006. Boateng also won the Bronze Medal Award in the Under-18 category in 2005.

Tottenham Hotspur

Boateng signed for Tottenham Hotspur in July 2007, for a reported fee of £5.4million.[5][6] He had his first start in the Premier League on 3 November against Middlesbrough, after which a series of further first team performances followed. With the departure of Tottenham manager Martin Jol, and the arrival of Juande Ramos and several high profile players, Boateng was pushed out of the team and into the reserves.[7] Boateng made his appearance under new manager Harry Redknapp in Spurs' 4–2 home win against Liverpool in the fourth round of the League Cup and his first league appearance of the 2008–09 season in Tottenham's 1–0 home defeat to Everton in November 2008.
Boateng was loaned out during the January transfer window of 2009 to Borussia Dortmund for the remainder of the season.[8] Boateng returned to Tottenham at the end of the 2008–09 season. His last game for Spurs came as a substitute in the clubs 5–1 Football League Cup win over Doncaster Rovers in August 2009.[9]

Portsmouth

Boateng joined Portsmouth for the 2009–10 season, signing a three-year deal with Pompey in August 2009 for a fee believed to be in the region of £4 million.[10][11] He scored his first Portsmouth goal in a 3–2 loss against Bolton Wanderers.[12] He continued his good form over the next few games, playing at the peak of Paul Hart's midfield diamond and winning Portsmouth's Player of the Month competition, in September.[13]
On 15 May 2010, Boateng was the subject of much controversy in the 1–0 defeat to Chelsea in the 2010 FA Cup Final. In the first half, he committed a foul on Chelsea player Michael Ballack,[14] causing partially torn right ankle ligaments[15] which ruled the German captain out of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.[16] Boateng then had a penalty saved by Petr Čech in the 54th minute of the game.[17] Boateng later apologised for the tackle on Ballack saying, "I am sorry, it was not intentional. I just came in too late and made full contact."[18]

A.C. Milan

Boateng transferred to Italian Serie A club Genoa on 17 August 2010, and immediately joined A.C. Milan on loan.[19][20] However, as anticipated by Milan CEO Adriano Galliani, the deal was later switched from loan to co-ownership.[21] He played his first competitive Serie A game for Milan on 29 August 2010 in their 4–0 win against Lecce after coming on in the 75th minute. On September 15, 2010, Boateng made his debut in the UEFA Champions League for Milan in their 2–0 win against AJ Auxerre at the San Siro, coming on in the 15th minute for Massimo Ambrosini. Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri was impressed with his performances in the first two matches so he opted to start him in the next two matches against Catania and Lazio.[22] He has now become a first team regular in the Milan line-up.
He scored his first goal for Milan against Brescia in the fourth minute to give them a 1–0 lead, game ended with a 3–0 win. His second came on 12 December 2010 against Bologna when he raced into the penalty box and scored a wonderful volley from a Zlatan Ibrahimović cross. Boateng netted his third goal in a 3-0 victory over Napoli on 28 February 2011. He made his return to former club Tottenham on 9 March at White Hart Lane in the Champions League last 16 second leg. Having lost 1-0 in the first leg at the San Siro, Milan were eliminated from the tournament after a goalless draw.On 26th April 2011 he signed a new deal that will keep him at Milan until 2013

International career

The midfielder played 41 times for the German Under-15, Under-16, Under-19 and Under-21 national teams, scoring eight goals. He hit the headlines on 20 July 2005 after netting a 47th minute goal from inside the centre circle over 45 yards in a 2005 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship game against Greece, which Germany won 3–0.[23] This impressive strike was voted Goal of the Month by viewers of a renowned German TV sports show.[24] Boateng was offered the chance to play for Ghana in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, but declined. The Hertha BSC manager, Dieter Hoeneß, praised Boateng for turning down Ghana and opting to play for Germany. On 27 March 2007, it was reported in the German media that Boateng had told German coach Joachim Löw that he would play for Ghana.

On 9 September, Berliner Morgenpost reported[27] that German National Under-21 Coach Dieter Eilts did not select Boateng anymore because of negative incidents that happened in the team's camp during the June 2007 Toulon Tournament in France.[28] On 24 June 2009, he announced, due to the lack of future chances to earn a call up for his home country, that he will play for Ghana in the future and that he had hoped to be part of the Ghana national team squad at the 2010 FIFA World Cup. On 7 May 2010, Ghana's head coach Milovan Rajevac named Boateng in his 30-man squad in preparation for the World Cup in 2010.[29] On 12 May 2010, FIFA finally approved Boateng's nationality switch application,[30] clearing the way for him to play for Ghana at the World Cup.

On 5 June 2010, Kevin-Prince, whose birthday coincides with Ghana's Independence Day, made his debut for Ghana in the 1–0 win over Latvia.[32] He wears Prince as his shirt name, based on his first names Kevin-Prince. This could be to distinguish himself from his brother Jérôme Boateng and Ghana teammate Derek Boateng. He also chose to wear number 23, the same number he wore at Portsmouth.[33] On 23 June 2010, at the 2010 World Cup in Johannesburg, Boateng played for Ghana against his brother Jérôme, who was representing Germany; the game ending 1–0 to Germany. This was the first time that two brothers have played for opposing teams in an international match and been on the pitch at the same time.[34] Boateng scored his first goal in a 2–1 win over the United States in the Round of 16 in Rustenburg's Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace on 26 June

Personal life

Boateng has a German mother and a Ghanaian father. His father, Prince Boateng, left Ghana in 1981 hoping for a break in Germany, where he wanted to study administration, however was unsuccessful and he ended up disc jockeying and working as a waiter. Kevin-Prince was only one-and-a-half-years-old when his father left the family home. Thus his German mother, Catherine, ended up working long hours to take care of Kevin and his brother George. His paternal uncle is a former member of the Ghana national team and his maternal grandfather is a cousin of legendary German star Helmut Rahn, scorer of the winning goal in the 1954 FIFA World Cup Final. He has two brothers, George and half-brother Jérôme.[36] Both are football players, with the youngest of the three brothers, Jérôme, also having previously been at Hertha and now playing with Manchester City and the German national team.[37] Boateng calls himself "The Ghetto Kid" because he was brought up in the poor Wedding district of Berlin.[38] In official documents, his name is given as Kevin Boateng, but he himself prefers the name Kevin-Prince in honour of his father, Prince Boateng. He married his long term girlfriend Jennifer two days after signing for Tottenham Hotspur.[39] Boateng has 26 tattoos.[40] About a tattoo on his biceps, he has been quoted as saying, "Here you see Africa and Ghana from my father", adding, "I have the name of my wife and my home town, Berlin. I have two jokers; one is smiling and the other crying. It means laugh now, cry later."[41]
Earlier on in his career, Boateng developed a serious shopping addiction as a result of personal problems. Boateng claims that he still owns "around 200 caps, around 20 leather jackets, and 160 pairs of shoes" following the ordeal. Other things the footballer is known to have bought include a Lamborghini, Hummer, and a Cadillac, all in one day for a six-figure fee. Boateng has since overcome this problem, citing how he, "was broken in another world" due to the effects of it

Kevin Prince Boateng Wallpaper: 


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Fernando Morientes

Full name Fernando Morientes Sánchez
Date of birth 5 April 1976 (1976-04-05) (age 35)
Place of birth Cáceres, Spain
Height 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Playing position Striker

Fernando Morientes Sánchez (born 5 April 1976) is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a striker.
His main asset was his aerial and strong goalscoring abilities. He played for a number of clubs throughout his career, including Real Madrid, AS Monaco, Liverpool, and Valencia CF. In La Liga, he scored 124 goals in 337 games, over the course of 15 seasons.
Morientes scored nearly 30 goals in nearly 50 appearances for the Spanish national team, representing the country in two FIFA World Cups (totalling five goals) and one UEFA European Football Championship.

Club career

Early career

Born in Cáceres, Extremadura, Morientes moved to Sonseca, Province of Toledo at the age of four. He began his professional career at Albacete Balompié, making his La Liga debut in 1993–94, spending two seasons at the club and scoring five goals in 22 matches (nine starts and 13 substitute appearances). Morientes transferred to Real Zaragoza in 1995, where he spent another two seasons, often being partnered up front by Dani, a Real Madrid youth graduate.

Real Madrid

Morientes' performances for Zaragoza caught the eye of Spanish giants Real Madrid, which bought the player in the summer of 1997 for approximately 6.6 million. Initially backing up established Predrag Mijatović and Davor Šuker, he finished as starter, and managed 12 goals in his debut season in 33 matches, squad-best (with the two players who fought with him for a starting berth netting 10 apiece, as youth system prodigy Raúl). Real finished fourth in the league, but won the season's UEFA Champions League.
In the 1998–99 season, Morientes performed very well, scoring 19 goals in the league and 25 in 38 appearances overall. He continued to display top football in 1999–2000, scoring 19 goals and finishing as Real's top scorer in a year where he also helped to the capital side's second Champions League title in three seasons, scoring in the 3–0 win over Valencia CF in an all-Spanish final. In the next season, Morientes won the first of two league titles with Real Madrid, scoring 10 goals overall which included four in eight appearances in the Champions League as Real lost in the semifinals to eventual winners FC Bayern Munich. He missed the tail-end of the domestic season due to injury.
In 2001–02, Real failed to win the league, losing out to Valencia. However, Morientes continued his scoring form, scoring 18 league goals in only 25 starts, with six substitute appearances. He also scored five goals in Real's 7–0 demolition of UD Las Palmas, missing out on a double hat-trick after missing from the penalty spot late in the match. He finished second in the top scorers list for the season, tied with Patrick Kluivert and behind Deportivo de La Coruña's Diego Tristán. Real were successful in winning the Champions League after beating Bayer 04 Leverkusen; Morientes played in the final and received a third Champions League winners medal.
In the summer of 2002, Real Madrid signed Brazilian superstar Ronaldo from F.C. Internazionale Milano. This fueled rumours that Morientes would soon be leaving the club, with FC Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspur reportedly interested. The former were reportedly on the verge of signing Morientes for around €22 million, but the move fell through due to Barça's reluctance to match Morientes' wage demands. Eventually, Morientes decided to stay at Madrid, but as predicted he did not feature as much in the side after the arrival of Ronaldo, who was preferred to Morientes in the starting lineup along with Raúl. Morientes eventually fell down the pecking order of strikers to Guti and Javier Portillo and, during a February 2003 home win against Borussia Dortmund – 2–1 in the Champions League second group stage – was involved in a highly publicised spat with club manager Vicente del Bosque, with the player allegedly insulting the coach after being called to enter the pitch as a third replacement in the dying minutes.[1][2] In the winter transfer window, despite continuous rumours of moves to Tottenham, Zaragoza, A.S. Roma, and A.C. Milan, Morientes remained at the club for the remainder of the season. Real would go on to win the league and Morientes earned his second league medal, making a total of 15 appearances (with three starts) and scoring five goals.
At the start of 2003–04, it was evident Morientes was not part of Madrid's plans; after extensive but ultimately unsuccessful negotiations regarding a loan deal with Germany's FC Schalke 04, he was loaned to French league side AS Monaco,[3] where he performed very well, scoring 10 goals in 28 appearances in the league. However, it was in the Champions League that he really made an impact, finishing as the top scorer, at nine goals. Monaco met Real Madrid in the quarter-finals,[4] where he scored a vital away goal in the first leg, which Real Madrid won 4–2. In the second leg, Morientes scored again as Monaco won 3–1, taking the aggregate score to 5–5 (away goals rule triumph). He also scored in their semifinal victory over Chelsea, but could not prevent Monaco from losing 3–0 in the final to F.C. Porto, played at the Arena AufSchalke in Gelsenkirchen, Germany.
After returning to Real Madrid at the start of the 2004–05 season, Morientes' hopes of forcing his way into the Real squad were further dampened with the arrival of Michael Owen from Liverpool. He featured in 13 scoreless league matches (all as a substitute), and was transferred to Liverpool in January 2005 for a fee of €9.3 million.[5] During his time at Real, Morientes made a total of 182 league appearances, with 112 starts and 70 games as a substitute, and scored 82 league goals.

Liverpool

Morientes made his debut for the club against rivals Manchester United and scored his first Liverpool goal on 1 February 2005 against Charlton Athletic. He was cup-tied for Liverpool's Champions League campaign and did not feature in their victory against Milan in the final of the competition.
Although Morientes came to Liverpool with a very good reputation, his transfer to Merseyside was followed by a large dip in form. He scored only three goals in 2004–05 and did not fare much better in the following season; although he showed glimpses of quality including a well-taken opening goal against Aston Villa and a brace in a 2–0 win against Middlesbrough, he could only find the net five times in 28 outings in the league,
At the end of the 2005–06 season, Morientes was sold to Valencia. During his time at Liverpool, he managed only 12 goals in 61 appearances, although he was part of the squads that won the 2005 UEFA Super Cup and the 2006 FA Cup.

Valencia

After a difficult season and a half at Liverpool, Morientes transferred to Valencia in late May 2006 for a fee reported to be around £3 million.[6] Here, he started to regain his form, scoring on his league debut, a 2–1 home win against Real Betis, and also netting a hat-trick in his first Champions League game against Olympiacos FC.[7] He linked up well with David Villa and scored 12 league goals in 24 games, and was also Valencia's top scorer in the Champions League with seven. His good form throughout 2006–07 also earned him a recall to the national side.
In the 2007–08 season, Morientes and Villa were joined in the strike force by Nikola Žigić and Javier Arizmendi. The campaign, however, was disappointing, as the "Che" were knocked out of the Champions League after finishing fourth in the group, and manager Quique Sánchez Flores was sacked following a poor run of form. Morientes picked up an injury in December 2007 that ruled him out for almost three months. He made his return to the team against Sevilla FC on 15 March 2008 and came off the bench to score the third and final goal in Valencia's 3–1 win over Getafe CF in the season's domestic cup final, the following month.[8]
Morientes missed out on another few league games after he was hospitalised in April with abdominal pains and fever. He was released from hospital in time for the final two league games of the season, but played no part in either. In his first two seasons at Valencia, Morientes has scored 18 goals in 48 league matches, adding eight in 18 European competition contests, while also missing a number of matches through a number of injuries.
Having begun the following campaign as an unused substitute in Valencia's first league game, and only coming on as a substitute in the second, Morientes was handed his first start in a UEFA Cup match against C.S. Marítimo. He scored the only goal of the game, a solo effort at the 12-minute mark. However, his increasing age and the form of Villa and Juan Mata led to only a handful of appearances in the league. As Valencia were ousted in the round of 32, Morientes finished as the club's top scorer in the European competition, at three goals in seven matches.

Marseille

On 27 July 2009, Morientes agreed a deal to join France's Olympique de Marseille on a free transfer, for one season, reuniting with former Monaco boss Didier Deschamps.[9] During his first year, he was only the fourth of fifth striker in the squad, and was released on 1 July 2010, by mutual consent.[10] On August 31, the 34-year old announced his retirement from football.[11]

International career

Morientes was a reliable performer for his national team since 1998; he scored a brace in the first five minutes of his debut against Sweden on 25 March, adding a further two in each of his next two games, against Northern Ireland and Bulgaria respectively. Morientes ranks fourth on the Spanish all-time topscorer's list with 27 goals in 47 appearances, behind former Real Madrid teammate Raúl, former Valencia teammate Villa and former Madrid captain Fernando Hierro (who took the majority of Spain's free kicks and penalties), although his goals-to-games ratio is higher than Raúl and Hierro.
Morientes scored five goals in the two FIFA World Cups he featured in, with two goals in 1998 and three in 2002. In the latter edition, Morientes and Raúl played together up front, and both showed impressive form in the tournament. During the knock-out round match against South Korea, Morientes scored a goal in extra-time that was disallowed, although replays suggested the goal was legitimate; Spain eventually lost the match on penalties.
He was a surprise omission at UEFA Euro 2000, but played at Euro 2004 in Portugal, where he scored one of only two goals that Spain could manage, in a subsequent group stage exit. Morientes also played for the nation during the 2006 World Cup qualifiers; however, due to his poor form for Liverpool in 2005-06, he was not chosen by national team coach Luis Aragonés in the final squad for the tournament, although he was part of a 31-man initial squad.
Following his return to form after moving to Valencia, Morientes was recalled to the national side. He scored his 27th goal for Spain in a Euro 2008 qualifier against Denmark on 24 March 2007. Injured four days later against Iceland, in another qualifying contest, he was not recalled again.

Honours

Club

Individual

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Jack Wilshere

Full name Jack Andrew Garry Wilshere[1][2]
Date of birth 1 January 1992 (1992-01-01) (age 19)
Place of birth Stevenage, England
Height 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)[3]
Playing position Midfielder

Jack Andrew Garry Wilshere (born 1 January 1992) is an English footballer who plays as a midfielder for Arsenal and the England national team.

Early and personal life

Wilshere was born in Stevenage, Hertfordshire and currently lives in Hitchin, Hertfordshire. He grew up in Hitchin, attending Whitehill Primary School and The Priory School.[4] He captained The Priory School Football team to County Cup and District Cup glory from Year 7 through to Year 10, and also added the Under 15s National Cup to his list in Year 8, playing alongside Leyton Orient's Jake Argent-Martin and Jack Reeves.

Club career

Youth and Reserves

Wilshere joined the Arsenal Academy in October 2001 at the age of nine, after spending two months with Luton Town.[5][6] He rose through the ranks, and at the age of 15 was named the captain of the under-16s; he also made a few appearances for the Under-18s. In the summer of 2007 Wilshere featured in the Champions Youth Cup and upon his return to England, Arsenal Academy coach Steve Bould gave him a start for the Under-18s first game against the Chelsea Under-18 team.[7] He scored his first goal against Aston Villa Under-18s in a 4–1 win.[8] He then scored a hat-trick against Watford Under-18s, helping his side to an Academy Group A title.[9] He finished his first full season with the U-18s with a impressive 13 goals in 18 appearances most of which while he was just only 15.[10]
In February 2008, he made his debut for Arsenal Reserves aged 16 against Reading, and scored Arsenal's only goal of the match, which ended in a draw.[11] He scored a memorable goal against West Ham reserves in March, picking the ball up and curling a shot into the top corner under the watching eye of Arsene Wenger.[12] He managed to record 2 goals and 2 assists in just 3 appearances for the reserves at the end of the 2007-08 season. He played in the Under-16s victory in the Atalanta Cup, being named as player of the tournament.[13] He played an important role in Arsenal's 2009 FA Youth Cup win, scoring goals in the semi final[14] and producing a man-of-the-match display in the first leg of the final against Liverpool, assisting two goals and scoring himself

2008–09 season

In July 2008, Wilshere was selected in the first team for the pre-season friendlies. He made his first team debut against Barnet as a half-time substitute for Henri Lansbury, setting up a goal for Jay Simpson.[16] Wilshere scored his first two goals for Arsenal in a 10–2 win against a Burgenland XI, and again two days later in a friendly against Stuttgart.
Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger gave Wilshere a place in Arsenal's first team squad for the 2008–09 season,[17] and he was given the number 19 shirt which he has retained to this day.[18] He made his competitive debut in a Premier League match against Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park in September 2008, as an 84th-minute substitute for Robin van Persie.[19] At the age of 16 years and 256 days, he was Arsenal's youngest-ever league debutante, a record previously held by Cesc Fàbregas.[20] Ten days later, on 23 September, Wilshere scored his first competitive Arsenal goal in a 6–0 victory against Sheffield United in the Football League Cup.[21] On 25 November 2008, Wilshere came on as a substitute in a UEFA Champions League match against Dynamo Kyiv, becoming the fifth sixteen-year-old to ever play in the Champions League.[22] In January 2009 Wilshere signed his first professional contract,[23] extending it in July the same year

2009–10 season

In the preparation for the 2009–10 season, Wilshere scored twice and was twice awarded Man of the Match as Arsenal regained the friendly tournament, the Emirates Cup.[25] On 22 September 2009, he started for Arsenal in their 2–0 Football League Cup win over West Bromwich Albion. In the 37th minute of the match, he was involved in a controversial incident with Jerome Thomas as Thomas pushed Wilshere's face and was shown a red card.[26]

Loan to Bolton Wanderers

On 29 January 2010, Wilshere joined Premier League side Bolton Wanderers on loan until the end of the 2009–10 season.[27] He made his first league start in the away game at Manchester City on 9 February, and scored his first Bolton goal, his first in the Premier League, on 6 March 2010 in the 2–1 victory at West Ham United.[28] He impressed at Bolton and they tried, unsuccessfully, to sign him on loan for another season.[29]

2010–11 season

The 2010–11 football season was a year of breakthrough for Wilshere. On 15 August 2010, he made his first start in the Premier League for Arsenal against Liverpool at Anfield.[30] He followed that up with another start the next weekend against Blackpool contributing with an assist. On 15 September, Wilshere started his first Champions League game of the season providing an assist along with an impressive performance.[31] Wilshere was named Arsenal's Player of The Month for September 2010.[32] On 16 October, Wilshere received his first straight red card in first-team football in a Premier League match against Birmingham City for a challenge on Nikola Žigić.[33] On 19 October, Wilshere scored his first Champions League goal with a chip over Andriy Pyatov at the Emirates Stadium for Arsenal in a 5–1 thrashing of Shakhtar Donetsk in the group stage.[34] On 1 November, it was announced that Wilshere had signed a new long-term contract.[35] On 27 November, Wilshere scored his first Premier League goal for Arsenal in a 4–2 win at Aston Villa. Wilshere was praised for his highly influential display against Barcelona in Arsenal's 2-1 victory, he completed a impressive 93.5% of his passes overall and 91% of his passes in the final third of the pitch.[36][37] Manager Arsene Wenger described his performance as "outstanding".[38] In April 2011, Wilshere won the PFA Young Player of the Year award, and was also named in the PFA Team of the Year for the 2010-2011 season, along with Arsenal team-mates Samir Nasri and Bacary Sagna.[39]

Style of play

Wilshere is a player known for his passing, dribbling, vision, movement and combination play.[40][41][42] More recently, Owen Coyle, manager of Bolton during Wilshere's loan spell, praised his ability to "tackle and take a knock", despite his lack of height. He has been compared to former England great Paul Gascoigne for his attributes as an all-round midfielder. However, Arsenal head of youth development Liam Brady noted that Wilshere had problems with his temper early on in his career.[43]
Wilshere has been used in a number of positions, including attacking midfielder, winger, and most recently deep-lying central midfielder, where he has played in all but one of Arsenal's matches during the 2010-11 season. In Wenger's words: 'He's a box-to-box player, more than just a holding midfielder. But to be honest he can play in any position across the midfield. He can play behind the striker because he can penetrate."

International career

Since 2006, the England national football team have decided to play Wilshere in an age group above his age. Wilshere was just 14 when he played for the England national under-16 football team at the Victory Shield in 2006. At the age of 15, he began playing for the England national under-17 football team. He was then named in the squad for the 2009 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship in May, starting the first two games, particularly impressing in the 2nd game against Germany before going off with an injury which kept him out of the final game.[44][45] After the tournament, he was named among the 10 future stars from the tournament.[46]
He has also been praised by England manager Fabio Capello, who indicated there was a chance that he would include the young midfielder in his 2010 FIFA World Cup squad,[47] though this did not happen. He also came on as substitute for his England U-21 debut against the Netherlands.[48]
On 7 August 2010, Wilshere was called up to the Senior squad for the first time for their friendly against Hungary on 11 August.[49] He made his England debut on 11 August 2010, coming on as a 83rd minute substitute for Steven Gerrard against Hungary.[50] This made him the 10th youngest player ever to play for the English national team.[51]
On 9 February 2011 he made his full England debut when he started in a friendly against Denmark. He impressed despite playing in an unfamiliar role just in front of the defence and was praised by Fabio Capello

Personal life

On 31 March 2011, it was announced that Jack was set to become a father in August 2011,[54] after his now ex-girlfriend, 22-year-old Lauren Neal, was pregnant with his child.[55]

Honours

Arsenal

Winner:
Runner-up:

International

Winner:

Individual

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Ole Gunnar Solskjær

Full name Ole Gunnar Solskjær
Date of birth 26 February 1973 (1973-02-26) (age 38)
Place of birth Kristiansund, Norway
Height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Playing position Forward
Winger

Ole Gunnar Solskjær (born 26 February 1973 in Kristiansund, Møre og Romsdal) is a Norwegian football manager and former footballer who spent most of his career playing for Manchester United. In January 2011, he became the manager of his former club Molde. Often dubbed "the baby-faced assassin", he played 366 times for the Red Devils and scored 126 goals during a very successful period for the club. He was recognised as a "super sub" for his knack of coming off the bench to score late goals. Solskjær's defining moment in football came in injury time of the 1999 UEFA Champions League Final where he scored the winning last-minute goal against Bayern Munich, completing a remarkable comeback and winning The Treble for United.
Before he moved to England, Solskjær completed a year's national service in the Norwegian Army,[1] and played part time for Third Division Norwegian Clausenengen FK, later moving to Norwegian Premier League Molde FK in 1994. He joined United in 1996, for a transfer fee of £1.5 million. He is a patron of the Manchester United Supporters' Trust (formerly Shareholders United).
In 2007, Solskjær announced his retirement from football after failing to recover from a serious knee injury.[2] However, Solskjær remained at Old Trafford in a coaching role, as well as in an ambassadorial capacity. In 2008, Solskjær became Manchester United's first full-time reserve team manager since 2006, taking over from Brian McClair and Jimmy Ryan, who had filled the role in a caretaker capacity. He also supervises a training academy for young footballers in his home town of Kristiansund.

Playing career

Club career

Early career

Solskjær first played for Clausenengen and impressed in the Otta Cup as a 17-year-old with 17 goals in six matches. He then joined Molde in 1995 and scored 20 goals in his first season in the Norwegian Premier League.

Early Manchester United years

Solskjær had scored 31 goals in 42 matches for Molde in the Norwegian Premier League, and he did not disappoint at the start of his Manchester United career, scoring six minutes into his debut as a substitute against Blackburn Rovers in the Premier League in the 1996–97 season.
He had joined United on 29 July 1996 for a fee of £1.5 million, being something of a surprise acquisition as he was almost unknown outside his homeland and at the time United were still in the hunt for Blackburn Rovers and England striker Alan Shearer, who then joined Newcastle United for a world record £15 million. As the only striker to arrive at Old Trafford that year, it was widely expected that his first season would be spent as a backup to Eric Cantona and Andy Cole with only occasional first team opportunities. But within weeks of his arrival it was clear that he would be a key part of the first team sooner than had been anticipated, and would also prove himself to be one of the biggest Premier League bargains of the season.[3]
He was issued with the number 20 shirt (previously worn by Dion Dublin and then by Gary Neville) upon his arrival; it was a squad number he would retain for the rest of his Manchester United career.
Solskjær scored 18 Premier League goals for United in his first season, helping United win the title in the last weeks of the season. The British media nicknamed him the "Baby-Faced Assassin" because of his youthful looks and his deadly finishing. He will perhaps be best remembered as a "super-sub", having earned wide acclaim for a remarkable habit of coming into matches late on as a substitute and scoring goals. Alex Ferguson remarked that Solskjær has a knack of sitting on the bench and studying the game without taking his eye off the action. One of his most impressive feats was coming off the bench to score four goals in the last 12 minutes of United's 8–1 thrashing of Nottingham Forest. He scored another four goals in a match a season later against Everton in a 5–1 victory.
Solskjær stayed at Old Trafford even though other clubs showed interest in the player in 1998. He even refused an offer from Tottenham Hotspur, after Manchester United had accepted a bid for him. The Norwegian went on to score the winning goal in the 1999 UEFA Champions League Final, helping the team secure the Treble and cementing his own place in the United folklore. Another defining moment in his career, was in the end of the league match against Newcastle in 1998. The match was tied at 1–1, and Manchester United needed at least a draw to keep up with Arsenal in the race for the league title. Near the end of the game, Newcastle's Robert Lee had a clear goalscoring opportunity, running unopposed towards United's goal, but Solskjær had run across the entire field to commit a professional foul against him, thus denying Newcastle a winning goal. Solskjær did this knowing he would be sent off, and suspended for the coming matches. Supporters regarded this as a perfect example of how Solskjær put the club above purely personal interest.
These feats made him a favourite among the United supporters, inspiring songs such as "Who Put the Ball in the Germans' Net?" and "You Are My Solskjær". Even when he had been absent on the pitch for a long time due to injury, United fans would still fill matches with chants sung in Solskjær's honour.
After a few years of coming on as the super-sub, Solskjær got a chance as a starter in the 2001–02 season, paired up with Dutch striker Ruud van Nistelrooy. He took the opportunity with characteristic incisiveness, forcing Andrew Cole and Dwight Yorke onto the bench.
By 2002–03, after both Andrew Cole and Dwight Yorke had left Old Trafford, Solskjær had only Diego Forlán and Van Nistelrooy to compete with for a place in the starting line-up. Still, Ferguson's persistence in playing Van Nistelrooy up front with Paul Scholes, or as a lone striker, meant that opportunities were limited.
Solskjær was subsequently given his time again when David Beckham picked up an injury and Ferguson played the Norwegian on the right wing. While proving himself to be an able crosser of the ball, Solskjær also popped up with goals, scoring a total of 16 goals in the season. He was selected to play on the right in important matches, such as in the league game against Arsenal and the Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid, while Beckham was left on the bench. He also captained the team in a number of matches.
Solskjær played for Norway in the 1998 FIFA World Cup and the Euro 2000. He collected a total of 67 international caps.

Injury-plagued seasons

At the start of 2003–04, Solskjær found himself as United's first-choice right winger. However, a knee injury suffered against Panathinaikos on 16 September 2003 put Solskjær out of action until February 2004. Solskjær returned from the injury for the season run-in and was man of the match in the FA Cup Semi Final victory over Arsenal. He also played in the 2004 FA Cup final, which the club won. Solskjær was forced to undergo intensive knee surgery in August 2004 and had to miss the 2004–05 season entirely. While he eventually recovered his fitness, it was difficult for the 32-year-old to carve his niche again among the heavy-weight attack of Manchester United. The Old Trafford faithful, however, displayed almost fanatical loyalty in their desire to see Solskjær in action again.
To show their continuing support, fans added a banner to the collection that lines the Stretford End reading "20 LEGEND"[4] (Solskjær wore number 20 for United). Solskjær further solidified his status amongst United fans when he became a patron of the supporters action group, Manchester United Supporters Trust (MUST), previously Shareholders United.

Back from injury

Solskjær made his long-awaited return to action on 5 December 2005, playing for United's reserves against Liverpool.[5] Spectators numbering 2,738 showed up to witness the comeback of the popular Norwegian – an above-average turn-out for a reserve team match. He made his first-team return as a substitute in the match against Birmingham City on 28 December. He then finally made his first start more than a year later in the FA Cup match against Burton Albion, before playing a full game as a captain in the replay. His return to full fitness slowly continued with regular appearances in the reserves, until on 8 March 2006 when, during a game against Middlesbrough, he was accidentally caught by Ugo Ehiogu, breaking his cheekbone. While facing the possibility of missing the rest of the season,[6] he nevertheless appeared as a substitute against Sunderland on Good Friday.
Solskjær had a very successful pre season tour in the summer of 2006 gaining Ferguson's praise who also said he would reconsider his plan to buy a new striker.[7] He returned to Premier League action on 23 August 2006 when he scored in an away match against Charlton Athletic, his first Premier League goal since April 2003. Ferguson commented after the match that "it was a great moment for Ole, United fans everywhere, the players and the staff" and that "Ole has been through a torrid time with injuries for the last two years, but he's persevered and never lost faith and has got his repayment tonight. Everyone is over the moon for him." He continued his come-back by putting in the winning goal in the Champions League clash with Celtic on 13 September, fulfilling his post-injury ambition to score another goal at Old Trafford. Solskjær's first Premier League goal at Old Trafford since his return came on 1 October when he netted both goals in the 2–0 win against Newcastle United. His goalscoring form continued with when he started the away match against Wigan Athletic and struck a sublime finish to round off a 3–1 victory, and again against Crewe Alexandra on 25 October 2006, scoring the first of a 2–1 victory. After a further injury sustained in Copenhagen, Solskjær again returned on form scoring the third goal in the 3–1 win over Wigan on Boxing Day. Solskjær continued his form by scoring United's opening goal in their 3–2 win over Reading on the 30 December. Additionally, he came on as a substitute to score an injury-time winner in the 2–1 victory over Aston Villa in the 3rd Round of the FA Cup on 7 January 2007.
After a match against Reading, Solskjær had further surgery on his knee. However, it was not as serious as his previous operations, and he was put out of action for only a month. He was predicted to be available for the 31 March game against Blackburn Rovers. United boss Alex Ferguson said: "It was good timing with the international break coming up. It gave us the opportunity to get the thing done." Solskjær did make his comeback from injury against Blackburn Rovers as a late substitute, and even scored in the 89th minute to seal Manchester United's 4–1 win. His last match was the FA Cup Final against Chelsea which did not provide him with a fairy tale ending as an extra-time goal from Didier Drogba gave Chelsea the victory.
On 5 June 2007, it was announced that Solskjær had undergone minor surgery after he reported discomfort in his knee while training with Norway. The surgery was a success, but Solskjær failed to fully recover and announced his retirement from professional football on 27 August 2007. Finally, on 4 September at the home game against Sunderland, his retirement was officially announced over the Old Trafford tannoy, with Solskjær walking onto the pitch to a standing ovation. As of his retirement, Solskjær holds the record for the most goals scored for Manchester United as a substitute, scoring 28 goals off the bench.[8]

Testimonial

On 2 August 2008, a testimonial was played in honour of Solskjær at Old Trafford against Espanyol. Over 68,000 fans were present as United eventually got the winner from substitute Fraizer Campbell. Solskjær appeared in the 68th minute, replacing Carlos Tévez. He hit the target three times and was credited for his role in influencing the young Campbell's play.[9] At the end of the game, he addressed the fans with a speech, thanking the staff, players, fans and his family.

International career

Solskjær made his international debut in a friendly game against Jamaica on 26 November 1995, just a few months before he joined Manchester United. The game finished in a 1–1 draw with Ole Gunnar scoring the only goal for Norway. He continued his great goal scoring start by scoring three goals during his first competitive appearances for the national team during the 1998 World Cup qualifying campaign.
Solskjær played in both the 1998 FIFA World Cup and Euro 2000 for Norway. He formed a feared partnership with international team mate and ex Chelsea striker Tore Andre Flo which was seen as one of the best striking partnerships in Norway's history.
Following his lengthy layout to injuries Solskjær made his full game comeback on 2 September 2006, when he scored the first and last goals in a 4–1 win against Hungary in a Euro 2008 qualifying match. They would be his last goals for the national team taking his tally up to 23 goals.
He made what proved to be his final appearance for Norway against Croatia in February 2007, finishing with a record of 67 appearances

Managerial career

First step into coaching

Solskjær signed his last player contract with Manchester United on 31 March 2006, with a provision to allow him to develop his coaching awards. He also acted in an ambassadorial role for the club, when he travelled to Hong Kong in 2006 and played with students at the Manchester United Soccer School in Hong Kong. When interviewed by Setanta Sports in August 2007, Solskjær confirmed he would train to be a coach after retiring from professional football, and would start to earn the required badges after his last season with Manchester United. Following his retirement, Solskjær worked for Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford, coaching the strikers on the first team for the remainder of the 2007–08 season.
As announced on 20 May 2008, he took over the Manchester United Reserves during the summer of 2008. He won the 2007–08 Lancashire Senior Cup by defeating the Liverpool Reserves 3–2 in the final.[10] On 12 May 2010, Solskjær won his first Manchester Senior Cup by defeating Bolton 1–0 at the Reebok Stadium.[11]
Shortly after the resignation of Åge Hareide from the position, Solskjær was offered the opportunity to coach the Norwegian national team; he declined, saying that it was not yet the right time for him to become the Norway coach.[12] Solskjær's final game as Manchester United Reserves manager was a 5–1 victory over Newcastle United on 16 December 2010.[13]

Molde

On 9 November 2010, Solskjær signed a four-year contract with the Norwegian side Molde FK to take over as manager, where he played prior to moving to Manchester United.[14] Solskjær continued as Manchester United Reserves manager until January 2011, when he took over at Molde for the start of the new season.[15]
Molde played their first league game under Solskjær on the 18 March 2011 and suffered an embarrassing 3–0 defeat to newly promoted Sarpsborg 08. They played their first home game of the season on 3 April, where despite coming from 1–0 down to lead 2–1 they were held to a 2–2 draw by league leaders Tromsø. Molde's first goal under Solskjær was scored in this game, by Senegalese striker Pape Paté Diouf. On the 17 April 2011 Solskær won his first Tippeligaen game at Molde with the 3–2 home win over Stabæk.
At present, Molde lie in 8th after five games with 8 points.

Personal life

Solskjær lives in Bramhall with his wife, Silje, and their three children, Noah, Karna and Elijah. He recently admitted he is not his son Noah's favourite player — his former United teammate Wayne Rooney is.[16]
In 2008, Solskjær was awarded with the First Class Knighthood of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav by King Harald V of Norway.[17] He was presented with the award in a ceremony on 25 October 2008 in his hometown of Kristiansund. Solskjær is the youngest ever recipient of the knighthood, usually bestowed upon notable members of society in their later years.[18]
In 2009, the Norwegian parliament bestowed upon Solskjær its annual Peer Gynt Prize for his work as worthy ambassador of sport and for his "great social commitment," [19] in a ceremony at Vinstra Hall.[20] The ex-footballer laughingly admitted in the subsequent press conference that he had neither read nor seen the Ibsen play, yet, but now intends to.[21]
In 2010, the Sunday Times Sport Rich List estimated his personal wealth to be around £10 million, making him one of the richest coaches in British football.[22] After he purchased a house in his home town Kristiansund, speculations arose around whether he would succeed Uwe Rösler as manager for Solskjær's former club Molde FK, an hour away from Kristiansund by car

Honours

Player

Manchester United

Manager

Manchester United Reserves

Individual

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