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Football as a sport has always captivated many. The passion and commitment involved, the adrenaline rush we get, the controversies, all make for a scrumptious blend. Very few things compare to seeing our role models and favourite players sweating it out on the pitch. But in this awe of the footballers, we often forget that they too are humans and not all of them have had an easy upbringing.
Ian Wright had abusive and unsupportive parents, while Carlos Tevez grew up in a town high on violence, poverty and drugs. The list is long, and Alexis Sanchez happens to be one of the latest additions to it.
A childhood filled with struggles
Alexis Sanchez was born on 19th December, 1988 in a small coastal town in Chile – Tocopilla. Alexis was barely a toddler when his father deserted his family, and his mother was left to do several jobs to take care of him and his 3 other siblings.
From the age of 6, he started earning money because he could not see his mother taking up the entire load on her shoulders. He would wash cars and perform somersaults, and even box on the streets as entertainment to earn just a few pence.
“We were the poorest of the poor so Alexis had to earn money any way he could from a very young age. He was like a little gymnast, hurling himself all over the place,” said Humberto, Alexis’ brother, in an interview with ‘The Sun’.
Sometimes the situation would be so out of hand, that Alexis used to go knocking on his neighbours’ doors, to see if they had some bread to spare.
Meteoric rise of a superstar
After so many problems early in his life, the law of averages eventually caught up with Alexis when Club Araudo’s youth coach spotted his talent and let him train for free (Alexis couldn’t even pay the £1 monthly fee)!
His first pair of football boots was a gift from the mayor after he saw Alexis win a game for his team single-handedly – he arrived late and scored 8 goals for his team which was trailing a goal.
Alexis was soon absorbed by Cobreloa, where he enjoyed the company of current national teammates, Charles Aranguiz and Eduardo Vargas in the youth ranks. Soon, Udinese came knocking and paid £1.7 million for the 17 year old’s services in 2006.
However, he did not feature in Udinese’s side instantly. He was loaned off to Chilean stalwarts Colo Colo for a year followed by a loan to Argentinean giants, River Plate in the following year.
In 2008, Alexis was finally deemed ready to play for Udinese. He was named man of the match in his first ever non-competitive match for the Zebrette – a 3-0 win over Bassano.
Over the years, he formed a successful partnership with veteran, Antonio Di Natale, with a tally of 39 goals between them in the 2010-11 season; just 2 short of Juventus’ Del Piero-Trezeguet pairing in 2007-08. His bright performances and the potential he showed saw him being named the world’s most promising youngster by FIFA.com over the likes of Gareth Bale, Neymar, Ganso and Javier Pastore.
On top of the world
After putting in some brilliant performances and hard work, Alexis attracted the attention of one of the biggest clubs in the world – FC Barcelona. They paid a transfer fee of £25 million including bonuses to make him the first Chilean to play for the club. "He can play in all three attacking positions, shows intense defensive skills, he's direct and from what I've been told, he's a nice kid," said Barcelona’s manager at the time, Pep Guardiola.
The Chilean winger made his debut in an El Classico match in the Spanish Super Cup, in a season which was marred by numerous short term injuries for him. However, he grew to become a vital cog in the wheel for the Catalonian club even though he did have his fair share of time on the bench; playing second fiddle to Messi and creating chances and spaces for El Messiah to run into.
He put in exemplary work rate, which was vital in a high pressing system adopted by the team. Alexis scored his first hat-trick for the club on January 5, 2014 against Elche. He ended the 2013-14 season with a career best 21 goals in all competitions.
At the start of the current season, Alexis Sanchez was sold to Arsenal for an ‘un-Arsenal’ like transfer fee in the vicinity of £30million. The theories as to why he was sold are plenty. Some say it was to fund Luis Suarez, while some say it was to make way for the promising youth waiting to break into the first team.
Alexis has made an instant impact in the Gunners’ shirt, bringing some individuality to their play. Having made 24 appearances, he has already scored 14 goals in all competitions and bailed Arsenal from tough spots many a time. Already a fan favourite, he could end up doing miracles at the Emirates Stadium.
Alexis and his footballing credentials
Predominantly a right winger, Alexis also has the capability to play on the left wing, in midfield on both flanks, and also as a striker. With his pace, acceleration and nifty dribbling, he has the knack of getting past his marker with ease. Though he is more of a ‘creator’ with his passing abilities, his scoring skills are not to be underestimated, as opponents of Arsenal this season would tell you.
Alexis is someone who enjoys some individual freedom on the pitch. This is part of the reason why he has been more successful at Arsenal rather than at Barcelona. He was always second fiddle to Messi when at Barcelona, but enjoys more creative freedom to do his thing over at North London.
He is also someone who thrives on finding gaps and spaces in defences and can exploit it to devastating effect – a ‘raumdeuter’ if you like, which is German for ‘space investigator’. Spanish defences are generally more organized than their English counterparts, hence limiting an integral part of Alexis’ game.
From a bit-part role with the Catalonian giants, Alexis is now a key member of the Arsenal side.
Among the few down sides to his game, is his tendency to get a little selfish at times when on the ball. His petulance and childish behaviour when decisions don’t go his way is also something that he should be looking to work on.
An inspiration for many
Alexis Sanchez turns 26 on 19th December, and has already achieved so much in his life. Though he has reached great heights, he has still not forgotten his roots. Last Christmas, he went back to his hometown to distribute football shirts and sweets amongst children, and also donated £160,000 for the restoration of 5 football pitches.
A footballer who grew up playing barefoot on dirt pitches, Alexis has evolved leaps and bounds to a position which he can boast about, but chooses not to. He is not only a world-class player on the pitch, but also a humble and grounded person off it.
Adversities and pressure force many to crumble, but some emerge shining brighter than ever. Alexis Sanchez is one such diamond – discovered in the mines of a small locality in Chile. Surely, an inspiration to all.
