Thursday, March 31, 2011

Alessandro Del Piero

Alessandro Del Piero Biograghy

Name : Alessandro Del Piero

Date of Birth : November 9, 1974

Place of Birth : Conegliano, Italy

Nationality : Italian

Height : 173 cm

Weight : 73 kg

Profession : Soccer Player

Club : Juventus FC

Position : Forward [L, C]
Alessandro Del Piero (born November 9, 1974 in Conegliano) is an Italian football player. He usually plays as a forward or between the midfield and the strikers. He is not the tallest of forwards, and is more of a creative forward rather than a "goal poacher". Del Piero is renowned for his deadly finishing, and the ease in which he dribbles past defenders. He is an expert in dead ball situations, and seems to have the ability to hit the target from almost anywhere on the pitch. Del Piero started his professional career in 1991 with Padova of Italian Serie B. In 1993, he transferred to Juventus, and has been there ever since. With the Turin club, he won the Serie A championship six times (1995, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2003, and 2005), the Champions League (1996), and the Toyota Cup (1996). His best season was in 1997-98, when he scored 21 goals in Serie A and finished top scorer in the UEFA Champions League with 10 goals, which included a peach of a freekick against Monaco in the semi finals. Del Piero struggled for form at the beginning of the 1998-99 season, whilst many doping allegations were wrongly aimed at him. In October he picked up a serious knee injury in the 2-2 draw with Udinese. This kept him out of action for the remainder of the season. Juventus struggled without him and limped home to a lowly 6th place in Serie A. Many people claim that Del Piero has never fully recovered from this injury, and therefore never quite fulfilled the potential he had shown at a very young age. His nickname is Pinturicchio, in reference to a joke by Gianni Agnelli when he belittled the emerging Del Piero to the master Roberto Baggio in a parallel between modest painter Pinturicchio from Perugia and the great Raphael. One of Del Piero's greatest strengths as a footballer is his versatility, which allows him to play in a variety of attacking positions. While he started his club career playing as a full-fledged striker, he very quickly matured into a more influential role, occupying the pivotal playmaker's position just behind the strikers. It is in this zone that his prowess as a creator of goals came to the fore. His creative abilities and potential were best utilised after Marcello Lippi took over as Juventus coach in the late 1990s. Lippi's incisive coaching acumen and his love for playing the "trident" in attack led him to give Del Piero increased opportunities to play the free role in a position the Italians like to call the Trequartista - a different kind of playmaker who plays just behind the strikers, yet not quite in midfield. Del Piero very quickly made this position his own, combining effectively with the likes of Zinedine Zidane and Filippo Inzaghi to form an ultra-creative Juventus strike force. Later on, his partnerships with Pavel Nedved in midfield and David Trezeguet upfront contributed enormously to Juve's continued success in Italy and Europe, as the club conquered two successive Scudettos (in 2002 and 2003) and finished runners-up to AC Milan in the UEFA Champions League (2003). Despite a great amount of success on the club level, Del Piero has generally disappointed playing for the Italian national team. Coming into the 1998 World Cup with huge expectations, he competed with fan favorite Roberto Baggio for a spot, and had some troubles because of a recent injury he picked up during the Champions' League final whilst playing for Juventus. Most notably, he incredibly missed several clear-cut chances against Norway. Two years later Del Piero became the main culprit for Italy's last minute loss in Euro 2000 final, again missing 2 clear-cut chances, which would have killed France off. However, he returned to the international scene in World Cup 2002 on the back of a very impressive season in Serie A, in which he lead Juventus to the title. He scored a goal against Mexico to send Italy through to the second round, but they would get no further. Even if Del Piero was one of Italy's best players in the tournament he was never really given the chance that he deserved. This was shown in the second round match against South Korea where Del Piero was substituted by the defensive minded coach, Giovanni Trapattoni. Del Piero also played for the Italian national team at Euro 2004. But again failed to impress. After Euro 2004, Del Piero faced another tough moment after Juventus replaced their Coach Marcello Lippi with Fabio Capello. Capello was not convinced of Del Piero's abilities and favoured the new signing from Ajax, Zlatan Ibrahimovic. However The Juve captain, fought back and scored 14 goals for the season, helping Juventus to their 28th Scudetto. However, Fabio Capello is still not convinced of Del Piero's abilities, and leaves him often on the bench despite showing great form when given the chance in less important matches. On January 10, 2006 Del Piero became the all time leading goalscorer for Juventus when he scored three times in a cup match against Fiorentina and took his total goals for the club to 185. The previous record holder was Giampiero Boniperti, who scored 182 goals for the club.

Alessandro Del Piero

Alessandro Del Piero-Best of

GOALS "Pinturicchio" Del Piero Serie A 07/08 [PART2]

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Alan Shearer

Alan Shearer Biography

Alan Shearer became the Geordie Messiah when he arrived at St James Park as a top-class footballer on 30th June 1996, and led the club to countless victories. His return to the club as temporary Manager, for their last 8 games of the season, has many fans hoping that he will be as successful off the pitch as he was on it! Childhood
Alan Shearer was born on 13th August 1970 in Newcastle, England. His father was a sheet-metal worker, who saw the values of hard-work and dedication, and passed this all on to Alan Jr. He played for Wallsend Boys Club (who also name Michael Carrick and Peter Beardsley as former players).
Trials with Newcastle United and Southampton led to a contract-offer from the Southern club, and Alan moved down to train with the club's youth team in 1986.
Early Career
A prolific goal-scoring career followed, with Shearer becoming top-scorer and club-legend at Southampton, Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United. His Premier League Winner's medal whe with Blackburn proved that he was right to spurn the offer from Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United.
In 1996, he was given the chance to move to his boyhood club, and became a club hero - scoring 148 goals in 300 games. He was part of the immensley exciting Newcastle side, managed by Kevin Keegan, that pushed Manchester United all the way in 96/97, before eventually finishing as unlucky runners-up.

Alan Shearer

Alan Shearer Testimonial 3

Alan Shearer career highlights video

Wayne Rooney

Wayne Rooney Biography

Wayne Mark Rooney (born 24 October 1985 in Liverpool) is an English footballer. He currently plays for the English Premier League club Manchester United and the England national team. He normally played as a second striker to Ruud van Nistelrooy for his club team before van Nistelrooy's move to Real Madrid, although during 2005-06, he showed his versatility as a player by shifting to the midfield and playing on both flanks. He wears number 8 for Manchester United and wears number 9 the English national team.
Rooney was brought up in an urban area of eastern Liverpool called Croxteth, where he and his two brothers attended the local De La Salle Catholic School.
His boyhood team was always Everton; his love for his home town club was famously bore out when he wore a T-shirt reading "Once a blue, Always a blue". However, he would end up playing just two seasons with Everton before demanding, and then executing, a transfer. This has left him on unfavourable terms with Everton fans, as they showed when he returned to Goodison Park and he was booed severely.
Although he has been under an intense media spotlight since first arriving on the scene in 2002, it was not until his performances at Euro 2004 that he gained a reputation on the world stage, as he spearheaded the English attack, scoring four goals. Rooney is also on the cover of the FIFA 07 video game in the United Kingdom.
Rooney has also been compared to George Best and Paul Gascoigne in terms of talent.
Wayne Rooney in the Premiership
After excelling for Liverpool Schoolboys and The Dynamo Brownwings, Rooney was signed by Everton shortly before his 11th birthday. Rooney gained national prominence on the 19th of October 2002 when he became the youngest goal scorer in the history of the Premier League at 16 years and 360 days while playing for Everton (though this record has since been surpassed twice). His goal against then-champions Arsenal was a last-minute winner and brought to an end the London side's 30-match unbeaten run. At the end of 2002 he won the BBC Sports Young Personality of the Year award. On 26 December 2002 he "achieved" the record of becoming the youngest player ever to be sent off in a Premiership game. This is also his only standing record in the Everton books.
National team career
He has also figured prominently in recent England international matches, after having become the youngest ever player to play for England, in a friendly against Australia, on 12 February 2003, aged 17 years, 111 days. This record has since been surpassed by Theo Walcott, who came off the bench to play in England's friendly against Hungary on 30 May 2006. England's youngest ever player previous to Rooney was James F. M. Prinsep of Clapham Rovers, who made his debut almost one and a quarter centuries before, on 5 April 1879, aged 17 years, 253 days. Rooney is also the youngest England scorer ever (17 years, 317 days).
His reputation as one of the world's most exciting young players was further enhanced by his impressive performances for England at Euro 2004 in Portugal. At the tournament Rooney became the youngest player ever to score in the UEFA European Football Championships, when on 17 June 2004 he scored twice against Switzerland; although the Swiss player, Johan Vonlanthen, broke this record against France four days later. Unfortunately Rooney was injured early in the quarter final match against Portugal and England were subsequently knocked out on penalties.
World Cup 2006 - Wayne Rooney
There was concern for Rooney's fitness ahead of the 2006 FIFA World Cup after the fourth metatarsal on his right foot was broken, possibly in several places, following a seemingly innocuous challenge from Paulo Ferreira during Manchester United's 3-0 defeat away at Chelsea on 29 April 2006, putting him out of action for an estimated six weeks. This was also the first match he played in the re-branded Nike Total 90 'Supremacy'. The boot's safety went under the spotlight after many considered it unsafe to wear.
A bone scan on 25 May 2006 suggested he would not be expected to return in time for the World Cup group ties, with a decision to be made on his return to training after these games had passed. Shortly afterwards his international manager confirmed he would travel with the squad to Germany, and would return to have another bone scan on 7 June. Ahead of this scan, Wayne claimed to be feeling fine and was "300% confident" of his own fitness. Rooney was reported to be back, doing light training on 2 June, working on kicking the ball and running.
On 7 June, Wayne Rooney had his second scan, with reports saying he would play in the World Cup as he boarded a flight to Baden-Baden to regroup with the England squad.
On 8 June, Sven-Göran Eriksson said that he was "injury free" and that "he just needs to get back his fitness before he can play". Eriksson hinted at a possible involvement in the later group stage matches and almost certainly, should England progress, in the second round of the competition.
On 15 June, Sven-Göran Eriksson and FA doctors declared Rooney match fit in time for the match against Trinidad & Tobago. Prior to the match there was much speculation as to whether his health would be risked by playing him at this stage; the speculation was ended when he entered the match in the 58th minute, replacing Michael Owen. Although Rooney did not score, England's fans were keen to see him running with pace (as if he was match fit many weeks before his medical clearance) and making his presence felt on the attack. On 18 June, Eriksson announced that Rooney would be starting England's next game. Rooney's rush into play was much to the dismay of his club team, Manchester United, who were concerned that a full recovery would be jeopardised.
On 20 June, Rooney started in the final group match, England against Sweden, helping England to a 2-2 draw.
On 25 June, Rooney once again started in England's second round game (knock-out rounds) against Ecuador. Although he failed to score, he looked lively and appeared to be fully fit and definitely match fit.
On 1 July, Rooney was sent off in the quarter final against Portugal while fighting for possession with Chelsea and Portugal defender Ricardo Carvalho. Rooney appeared to stamp down on Carvalho's groin and was sent off by referee, Horacio Elizondo. Rooney later announced, through the serialisation of his biography in the Daily Mail, that the stamp on Ricardo Carvalho was unintentional. He became only the third English player to be sent off in a World Cup Finals. Due to his red card, he missed England's opening Euro 2008 qualifiers against Andorra on 2 September and Macedonia on 6 September.

2009–10 Season
On 22 August 2009, he became the 20th Manchester United player to have scored over 100 goals for the club, finding the net twice in a 5-0 away win at Wigan Athletic.
His performance for Manchester United have led many to say he is one of the greatest football players in the world. If not the best player, then in the top two with Lionel Messi of Barcelona
2010 World Cup
The 2010 World Cup was another comparative disappointment for Wayne Rooney. England lost in the second round against Germany, and Wayne failed to find his great form of the previous domestic season. In the lead up to the World Cup finals, much media speculation suggested Wayne Rooney was the key to a good England performance. It is possible this weight of expectation played on Rooney's mind.
2010/11 Season
In November of 2011, Wayne Rooney shocked fans by suggesting he was ready to leave Manchester United, even raising the possibility of moving to Manchester City. In the end, he signed for Manchester United on a new contract making him one of the best paid players in the world.

Wayne Rooney

Wayne Rooney world cup England

Rooney Red card Against Portugal

Michael Owen

Michael Owen Biography

Michael Owen made his England debut against Chile on February 11, 1998 and his first goal for the national side came on May 27 1998 against Morocco but the 18 year-old really made his name with a fantastic goal for England against Argentina in the 1988 World Cup.
2001 was a great year for Owen as he was instrumental in Liverpool's treble of the FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA Cup. Owen was named European Footballer of the Year and Football Writers' Player of the Year.
2001 was also the year that Owen struck a hat-trick against Germany in England's decisive World Cup qualifier, which they won 5-1.
Owen has been dogged by injuries throughout his career. Normally brilliant at snapping up half-chances his last year at Liverpool proved disappointing as Michael seemed to have lost some of his trademark sharpness. He also missed several penalties.
Nevertheless, having joined Real Madrid for £8m in August 2004, Owen seemed to have settled in at the Spanish club. However, in August 2005, Michael Owen joined Newcastle United for a club record transfer fee of over £15 million.
He scored his first goal for the Magpies in their 3-0 victory at Blackburn in September 2005. Owen appeared to be playing well for Newcastle when he suffered another injury.
Owen had broken his foot on New Year's Eve at Tottenham, but he recovered sufficiently to play at the 2006 World Cup but did not look at his best and was substituted in England's opening games.
He then ruptured his anterior cruciate knee ligament in the match against Sweden - thereby missing the rest of the World Cup and a sizeable portion of the 2006/7 season.
In June 2005 Michael Owen married his long-time girlfriend, Louise Bonsall. They have a daughter Gemma Rose and a son James Michael.
On 30 April 2007, Michael Owen played for Newcastle against Reading. It was almost exactly a year since he had last played for Newcastle.
Michael Owen's goal in England's 3-0 victory over Estonia on 6 June 2007 was his 23rd competitive strike in 49 internationals, thereby overtaking Gary Lineker's England scoring record.
On 22 June 2009, the BBC reported that Michael Owen had confirmed that he will leave relegated Newcastle when his contract expired at the end of June.
In his Newcastle career spanning four seasons, Michael Owen made 79 appearances and scored 30 goals.
On 3 July 2009, Michael Owen joined Manchester United, signing a two-year deal.
Although Michael Owen scored on 28 February 2010 in Manchester United's 2-1 Carling Cup final win over Aston Villa, he pulled his hamstring, went off injured, and was later ruled out of playing for the rest of the season.

Michael Owen

michael owen tribute

Michael Owen Goals!!

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Steven Gerrard

steven gerrard biography

Steven Gerrard was born on 30th May, 1980 in Whiston, Merseyside. The town is about 8 kms to the east of the city of Liverpool. He was brought up in neighbouring Huyton and spent his childhood there.

Gerrard or Stevie G as he is called, is a natural central midfielder who can play in other positions with equal aplomb. He loves to make darting runs from the centre of the park into the striking area and his long range passing and shooting, coupled with his tackling ability makes him a player every manager would love to have in their side.

Gerrard attended the Cardinal Heenan Catholic high school in West Derby, Liverpool. Unlike Michael Owen, Robbie Fowler, Jamie Carragher and other famous Liverpool players who were childhood Everton fans, Gerrard was a Kopite from the beginning and joined his beloved club as a trainee when he was a school boy. He rose through the ranks quickly and made his debut as a substitute for Norwegian Vegard Heggem against Blackburn on 30th November 1998. His first full debut came against Celta Vigo in the UEFA Cup and his performance that night was a definite indicator that the lad was destined for stardom.

He made his first appearance in England colours against Ukraine at Wembley in May 2000 and has been an integral part of the English squad ever since. His first goal for England was a rasping 25 yard shot which gave Oliver Kahn no chance, in the famous 5-1 demolition of Germany in September 2001. His career was plagued by injuries in that period though, and he missed the 2002 World Cup in Korea and Japan with a groin injury.

He was given the captain's armband first in October 2003 by Gerard Houllier and has captained the Reds regularly ever since. He wears the No.8 jersey for the Reds and No.4 for England. He first captained England against Sweden in 2004, and led the side five times in 2007. When Steve McLaren took over from Sven Goran Eriksson in August 2006, he named Gerrard vice captain of the national team.A leader par excellence, the man gives nothing less than 100% when he is on the pitch. Fans voted him the " Nationwide Player of the Year '' in 2007.

Gerrard has scored in nearly every major final that he has appeared in for Liverpool, proving that he is somebody to be relied upon in big match occasions. Prominent among them is the headed goal against AC Milan in the Champions League final in 2005, which kickstarted Liverpool's amazing comeback and the last minute stunning 35 yard equaliser against West Ham in the FA Cup 2006 Final. He was also on the scoresheet in the 2001 UEFA Cup final against Alaves and the 2003 League Cup final against arch rivals Manchester United. He is also remembered for his crucial 25 yard strike against Olympiakos in the Champions League which assured the Reds of a place in the last 16 of Europe's most prestigious club competition. While Ian Rush still holds most of Liverpool's scoring records, Gerrard is the club's highest scorer in Europe.

Considered as Liverpool's prized asset by many, Gerrard is the pivot around which the Merseysiders revolve and his combination with Fernando Torres saw the latter score over 20 goals in his debut season . Given his versatility and consistency, it comes as no surprise that he is regarded as one of the best midfielders ever to grace the football pitch. Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry has even stated his desire to keep Gerrard lifelong at Anfield. He is currently contracted to the Reds till 2011.

Gerrard has won several awards - the PFA young player of the year in 2001, the most valuable player in the Champions League in 2004-05 and PFA player of the year in 2006 (ahead of the likes of Frank Lampard and Thierry Henry). He came third behind Ronaldinho and Lampard in the poll for the prestigious Ballon D'Or (European Footballer of the Year) in 2005. In December 2006, he was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire ( MBE) in recognition of his services to the game. In the last five seasons, he has never failed to make it to the PFA Team of the Year.

He married Alex Curran on June 16, 2007, and the couple have two daughters, Lily-Ella and Lexie.

Steven Gerrard

Steven Gerrard, the hypocrite

Steven Gerrard reaction to Fernando Torres being substitued

David Beckham

David Beckham biography

Date of Birth
2 May 1975, Leytonstone, London, England, UK

Birth Name
David Robert Joseph Beckham

Nickname
Dave
Becks
Golden Balls
DB7

Height
6' (1.83 m)

Mini Biography
David Beckham is one of Britain's most iconic athletes whose name is also an elite global advertising brand. He was captain of the English national team from 2000 to 2006, scored in three different FIFA World Cups, and played midfield for clubs in Manchester, England and Madrid, Spain, before agreeing to move to Los Angeles, to play for Los Angeles Galaxy team on a five year contract beginning on July 1, 2007.

He was born David Robert Joseph Beckham on May 2, 1975, in Leytonstone, East London, England, son of Ted Beckham, a kitchen fitter, and Sandra West, a hairdresser. Beckham's maternal grandfather is Jewish, and he has been mentioning the religion as influence; he wears a tattoo written in Hebrew from the 'Song of Songs' in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament), albeit he is not known to practice Judaism or any other faith. Beckham has always played in long sleeve shirts to cover up his tattoos in consideration of others who may feel uncomfortable due to their beliefs.

He was brought up by his parents, supporters of Manchester United, attended Bobby Charlton's football school in Manchester, and won a spot in a training session at FC Barcelona as a child. In 1986 he was a Manchester United's mascot for a match against West Ham United. From 1992 - 2003 Beckham made almost 400 appearances for Manchester United and scored 85 goals, although his official record counts only 62 goals in 265 official senior team's matches. In the 1998 FIFA World Cup he played all of England's qualifying matches and scored in several important victories. He received a red card for violent conduct in England's match against Argentina, albeit his opponent later admitted to trying to send Beckham off by over-reacting to their contact during the game and by urging the referee to send Beckham off. After losing the game England was eliminated, Beckham was made a scapegoat and became the target of criticism and abuse in media.

He had a good season in 1999 - 2000 and helped Manchester United to win the Premier League. At that time, he married singer Victoria Beckham (nee' Adams) from the popular musical group The Spice Girls, and the couple had their first son, Brooklyn, born in 1999. That same year, Beckham was given a permission to miss training routine, in order to look after his son Brooklyn, who suffered from a stomach infection. Meanwhile, the Manchester United's manager, Alex Ferguson, fined Beckham £50,000 (about $80,000 then) the maximum amount that was permitted, for babysitting with his sick child, while his wife was spotted at a London fashion Week event on the same night. Ferguson's claim that Beckham should be able to train if his wife stayed home that day, caused a serious personal tension between two men. In February 2003, following the defeat to Arsenal, the Manchester United's manager Alex Ferguson entered the changing room and kicked a football boot that struck Beckham over the eye, causing a cut that required stitches.

David Beckham has been a good scorer and a major attraction for public. On the field he has been demonstrating his consistent ability to see a big picture even under severe pressure during the most rapidly changing and unpredictable games. His field vision has been remarkable, allowing him to create many assists in a number of important matches. Beckham's forte has been his delivery from the right-hand side as well as his efficient free kicks. His superior performances in the midfield position has required a higher physical endurance through the entire game. "David Beckham's right foot" was mentioned, although humorously, as one of British national treasures in the movie Love Actually (2003).

He signed a four-year contract with Real Madrid, beginning on July 1, 2003, and worth a potential 40 million dollars. In Madrid, Beckham was not allowed to wear his favorite number seven, because another player had the right to wear it written into his contract. Beckham decided to wear the number 23 instead, being a big fan of Michael Jordan. He immediately became popular with the Real Madrid fans, but the team did not perform well enough to win either the Spanish League or the Champions League. However, Beckham remained a reliable scorer and his performances attracted more public. His shirts sales and other merchandising deals remained lucrative for the club, which continued to under-perform, regardless of the Real's management's higher expectations.

In 2005 Beckham became a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. He was also involved in promoting London's successful bid for the 2012 Olympic Games. His third season in Madrid was unremarkable, and he was criticized a lot, mainly because the team finished second to Barcelona in Spanish "La Liga" and lost to Arsenal in the European Champions League. However, during that season, he expanded his international presence by establishing football academies in Los Angeles and East London. During the FIFA World Cup 2006, he played for England, and became the first ever English player to score in three World Cups. In the quarter final game against Portugal, Beckham was replaced because of his injury in the middle of the game. Without him the English team lost and was knocked out of the World Cup.

In June 2007 Beckham played his final game for Real Madrid, winning a medal and celebrating with his friends Tom and Katie Cruse, who attended the game. This was his fourth, and last season there, ending his contract with the club. He announced that he had signed a five-year contract to play for the Los Angeles Galaxy from July 1, 2007 through June 2012. The 5-year deal includes up to $10 million a year in direct salary, and with merchandising endorsements and profit-sharing could earn Beckham up to $50 million a year, and may end up worth about $250 million in five years, making him one of the highest earning athletes of all time.

In 2009, in a unique time share agreement David played on loan at AC Milan to maintain his fitness after ending the season with the Galaxy. He ended up staying with Milan for five months, from January to May 2009. In 2010, he also arranged to embark on a second loan spell at AC Milan from the Galaxy, to play for Milan for another five months. He said the he "genuinely enjoyed playing for Milan."

The Beckhams, who have become known as "Posh and Becks", have three sons: Brooklyn Joseph Beckham (born 1999), Romeo James Beckham (born 2002), and Cruz David Beckham (born 2005) who was named "Cruz" in honor of their friend Tom Cruise.

David Beckham

All the FreeKicks from David Beckham