Alexis Sanchez is a Chilean international footballer who holds the record for the youngest player to have represented his country. He also became the most expensive Chilean player of all time and is the country’s top scorer.
The striker, known for his energy, skill and exceptional work ethic on the pitch, currently plays for Manchester United, having played for Arsenal, Barcelona and Udinese.
Biography (Age)
Alexis Sanchez was born Alexis Alejandro SanchezSanchez to Gullermo Soto Espinoza and Martina Sanchez on December 19, 1988 in Tocopilla, Chile. Her father would not have held a job as her mother was the breadwinner, working as a horticulturist while running a small business.
A few months after he was born, his father abandoned the family, leaving his mother to care for him and his siblings with the help of other relatives. One of those relatives, Mr. Jose Delaigue, eventually adopted Sanchez and helped shape him into the man he is today. He paid little Sanchez to attend a local youth football academy where he did what he lacked in talent with a great work ethic. In his spare time, Sanchez did a number of menial jobs as well as somersaulting through the streets for a fee as a source of entertainment for spectators.
The money he saved was used to pay for the football academy fee as well as other miscellaneous expenses that come with it. Sanchez sometimes had to borrow boots to play before receiving a new pair of boots from the mayor of Tocopila after scoring 8 goals in a single game. Another wealthy Chilean, Mr. Luis Astorga, took him under his wing again and away from the streets and backed him up with everything he needed to become the footballer he is today.
Sanchez was promoted to senior in his youth side Cobreloa in 2005 and he later joined the prestigious list of teenagers to play in the Copa Libertadores. His impressive first season with the senior team did not go unnoticed as Serie A side Udinese came in to sign him for £1.7m on April 21, 2006. The Italian club signed him however, loaned out to Chilean giants Colo-Colo for a season so he could gain more first-team experience. This decision was excellent for Sanchez who was now called El Nino Maravilla, which means The Wonder Boy.
After another spell on loan at Argentinian side River Plate, Alexis Sanchez left the shores of South America for the first time in July 2008 to join his parent club Udinese. Sanchez had a slow start in Italy but, over the next few years, he continued to build a strong partnership with Italian striker Antonio Di Natale. In 2011, he was named the most promising youngster in the world ahead of Neymar, Gareth Bale and Javier Pastore.
His meteoric rise put him on the radar of Barcelona who, at the end of the 2010-2011 campaign, paid 26 million euros to acquire his services. Sanchez played for Barcelona for three seasons, making 141 appearances and scoring 47 goals. His next destination was Arsenal who paid the Catalans £31.7million. His first competitive appearance for the Gunner was against Manchester City in the Community Shield which his team won. He went on to win two more trophies during his three-and-a-half seasons with the London side before moving to Manchester United.
Is Alexis Sanchez married? Who is his wife or girlfriend?
Alexis Sanchez was reportedly previously married to Laia Grassi, whom he has been seeing since 2013. Tabloids later reported that the two broke off their relationship after the 2014 World Cup over infidelity issues after former Miss Chile Camila Andrade revealed that the footballer asked him out on a date.
Sanchez is now romantically linked to Chilean actress Mayte Rodriquez who reportedly moved to the UK to stay close to her man. Some reports state that the two got married, however, there is no evidence to prove it.
Height, weight and other facts
Birth name: Alexis Alejandro Sanchez Sanchez
Date of birth: December 19, 1988
Place of birth: Tocopilla, Chile
Zodiac sign: Sagittarius
Height: 5 feet 6½ inches (169 cm)
Weight: 62 kg (137 lbs)
Body measurements: Chest – 41 inches (104 cm), arms/biceps – 14.5 inches (37 cm), waist – 31 inches (79 cm)
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