If you are an avid soccer fan, you certainly know a lot about the soccer history of Alex Oxlade Chamberlain. The team he started his career with, the team he would later shine for the most, the goals he scored, the trophies he won, and what you have.
But Alex has more to offer than just football. This article will reveal little-known facts about the football star, from details about his upbringing, his parents, how he began to love football, and of course his love life.
Alex Oxlade Chamberlain Bio
Alex has this look where you immediately wonder where he could have come from with the suspicion that he might be a half-caste. Well, yes! He is one. Alex was born on August 15, 1993, in Portsmouth, Hampshire, to a Jamaican father and a white mother. Thanks to his father Mark Chamberlain, who played professional football for two decades, Alex was born with athletic genes. His love for sports was already evident during his time in elementary school at St. John’s College in Portsmouth.
Alex is revered for his incredible pace, another attribute he earned from his father. His speed has enabled him to play many sports including football, rugby, and cricket. Alex excelled in all sports and considered playing rugby professionally when the London Irish offered him a trial period; he was also offered a trial period at Hampshire Country Cricket Club. In cricket, Alex was versatile as a wicketkeeper, bowler, and opening bat.
Ox turned down both offers, however, because of his involvement with the Southampton Academy, which he joined at the age of 7. He earned the nickname OX already in his primary school days because of his strength. The lad won his first trophy at a school competition where he also emerged as the best player, playing in the midfield position.
ALSO READ: Charlie Puth Bio, Age, Height, Net Worth, Family, Relationships and Affairs
Alex Oxlade Chamberlain made the senior team of Southampton in March 2010 at the age of 16. On the day of his debut game for the team, he was the second-youngest player to play for the team after Theo Walcott, who would later become his long-time teammate at Arsenal. He signed his first professional contract in August 2010 and would help Southampton advance from the first division to the championship.
However, he could not hold out until the end of his 3-year contract, as Arsenal came up with a better deal in August 2011. Although the terms of the deal were veiled, speculation was that it would be worth between 12 million and 15 million pounds. In his debut season with the Gunners, Alex scored his first goal in the UEFA Champions League against the Greek club Olympiacos. This made him the youngest English player to score on stage, beating the record set by Theo Walcott.
Oxlade ended his Arsenal tour in August 2017, when Liverpool signed him on a five-year £35 million contract. With the Gunners, Alex won three FA Cup titles (2 in a row) and an FA Community Shield. He began his national football career in 2010 when he was called up to the U-18 squad and finally made it to the senior national team in 2012.
His Parents and Family
Chamberlain’s mother is named Wendy and his father Mark. His paternal grandparents emigrated to Great Britain to lead a better life. Alex’s father Mark was finally to be born on November 19, 1961, in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. Mark was eventually to become a professional footballer and began his career in the mid-1970s with the local team Port Vale.
In 1982 he joined up with rival Stoke City. An incredibly fast player, he played as a winger and on the right-back positions. Mark later played for other teams including Sheffield Wednesday, Portsmouth, where he scored the most goals, Brighton & Hove Albion, Exeter City, and Fareham Town. He also played for the English national team. After his retirement in 1998, Alex’s father became a coach and was one of the coaches of the youth team when Alex was in Southampton.
Alex’s mother, who rarely appears in the media, was born in Portsmouth, England. In Alex’s interview with Express Sports in 2016, he revealed how his mother tried to pressure him to play theater in school.
ALSO READ: Darius Jackson Bio, Height, Weight, Body Measurements, Family
Alex has an uncle, Neville Chamberlain, his father’s younger brother (Mark’s father had him with a white woman). He is a retired professional footballer who played alongside Alex’s father in Port Vale and Stoke City. He retired 10 years earlier than Mark and became his agent until the end of his career. He also had some coaching jobs.
Alex’s younger brother, Christian Chamberlain, born June 24, 1998, is also a professional footballer. He started his career in Portsmouth and played for Eastbourne Borough and Notts County.
Alex Oxlade Chamberlain Girlfriend
Alex Oxlade Chamberlain has been dating the British singer Perrie Edwards since the end of 2016. Perrie is one of the members of the first-class girl group Little Mix, which won the 8th Season of X Factor in 2011. Although rumors of their romance were circulating, they kept their relationship secret at first, as Pierre had suffered a high-profile breakup with her ex, Zayn Malik. Initially, the two did not even follow each other on social media until January 2017, when Perrie published her first photo of her and Oxlade on Instagram. Since then, the couple has taken turns sharing their love on social media platform. Fans are urging them to become the next David and Victoria Beckham.
Height and Weight
As a young player, one of the uncertainties Alex Oxlade Chamberlain had about himself was his size. Alex had thought that since he wasn’t really big, he wouldn’t become a great player, but thanks to his father, who was able to get him past this stage, he did. Alex stands at 5 feet 11 inches; not surprisingly, he has never scored a header. His weight is 70 kg.