Ali Al-Habsi facts for kids
Al-Habsi playing for Reading in 2016
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ali Abdullah Harib Al-Habsi | ||
| Date of birth | 30 December 1981 | ||
| Place of birth | Muscat, Oman | ||
| Height | 1.94 m (6 ft 4 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1998–2002 | Al-Mudhaibi | 35 | (0) |
| 2002–2003 | Al-Nasr | 4 | (0) |
| 2003–2006 | Lyn Oslo | 62 | (0) |
| 2006–2011 | Bolton Wanderers | 10 | (0) |
| 2010–2011 | → Wigan Athletic (loan) | 34 | (0) |
| 2011–2015 | Wigan Athletic | 102 | (0) |
| 2014 | → Brighton & Hove Albion (loan) | 1 | (0) |
| 2015–2017 | Reading | 78 | (0) |
| 2017–2019 | Al-Hilal | 34 | (0) |
| 2019–2020 | West Bromwich Albion | 0 | (0) |
| Total | 360 | (0) | |
| International career | |||
| 2001–2019 | Oman | 136 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Ali Abdullah Harib Al-Habsi (Arabic: علي بن عبد الله بن حارب الحبسي; born on December 30, 1981) is a famous Omani goalkeeper who used to play professional football. He was a key player for the Oman national team for almost 20 years, from 2001 to 2019.
Contents
Ali Al-Habsi's Football Journey
Ali Al-Habsi started his football career in his home country, Oman. He played for local clubs before moving to Europe to play for bigger teams.
Playing for Bolton Wanderers
In January 2006, Ali Al-Habsi joined Bolton Wanderers, a team in England. He didn't play much in his first year. However, he made his first big appearance for Bolton in September 2007 in a League Cup game.
During the 2007–08 season, he played 15 more games. He was especially good in a UEFA Cup match against Bayern Munich, making many great saves. He also played his first Premier League game against Wigan Athletic. In December 2008, he signed a new contract with Bolton until 2013.
Time at Wigan Athletic
In July 2010, Al-Habsi joined Wigan Athletic on a loan for one season. He quickly became a star player. He made his debut in August 2010 in a League Cup match. He was so good that he was named Wigan's best player for the 2010–11 season.
On July 4, 2011, Al-Habsi officially joined Wigan Athletic permanently. He signed a four-year contract. He became known as an amazing penalty saver, stopping about half of all the penalties he faced. He even saved penalties from famous players like Robin van Persie and Carlos Tevez.
Towards the end of the 2012–13 season, he was sometimes on the bench. Wigan Athletic won the FA Cup in 2013, but sadly, they were also moved down to a lower league that same year.
Loan to Brighton & Hove Albion
On October 31, 2014, Al-Habsi went on a one-month loan to Brighton & Hove Albion. He played only one game for them before returning to Wigan.
Joining Reading F.C.
After leaving Wigan, Al-Habsi joined Reading in July 2015, signing a two-year contract. He played very well for Reading. In March 2017, he made many important saves in a game against Sheffield Wednesday. Because of his great performances, he was chosen for the EFL Championship team of the season. He also won the Reading Player of the Season award.
Moving to Al-Hilal
On July 17, 2017, Al-Habsi moved to Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia. He signed a three-year contract with the club.
Time at West Bromwich Albion
On August 29, 2019, Al-Habsi joined West Bromwich Albion in England. He signed a contract until the end of the season. He did not play any games for the club before he was released in June 2020.
Retirement from Football
On August 21, 2020, Ali Al-Habsi announced that he was retiring from professional football.
International Career for Oman
Ali Al-Habsi started playing for the Oman national team when he was 17. He was first spotted by a scout in 2001.
He played in many important tournaments for Oman:
- He played in all three group matches at the 2004 AFC Asian Cup.
- He also played in four games for the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
- He was Oman's main goalkeeper at the 2007 AFC Asian Cup.
Al-Habsi also played as the main goalkeeper in four Arabian Gulf Cup tournaments in a row. He won the award for best goalkeeper in each of these tournaments, including the 19th Arabian Gulf Cup. He didn't let any goals in during the 2009 tournament, which Oman eventually won! He played his 100th game for Oman in 2015.
On January 5, 2020, Ali Al-Habsi announced his retirement from playing for the national team.
Ali Al-Habsi's Life Outside Football
Ali Al-Habsi is a Muslim and says his faith is very important to him. He is married and has three daughters.
Before he became a professional footballer, he worked as a fireman at the Seeb International Airport in Muscat, Oman. He has said that being a fireman taught him to be patient, work hard, and love his country. He also mentioned that if he hadn't played football, he would likely still be a fireman.
Ali Al-Habsi is also a co-founder of Safety First. This is a group in Oman that works to make roads safer and reduce car accidents.
Honours and Awards
Ali Al-Habsi won many awards and trophies during his career:
Team Honours
- Lyn Oslo
* Norwegian Football Cup runner-up: 2004
- Wigan Athletic
* FA Cup: 2012–13
- Al Hilal
* Saudi Pro League: 2017–18 * Saudi Super Cup: 2018
- Oman
* Arabian Gulf Cup: 2009 * Runner-up: 2004, 2007
Individual Awards
- Best Goalkeeper of the Gulf Cup: 2003, 2004, 2007, 2009, 2011
- Arab Goalkeeper of the Year: 2004
- Norwegian Goalkeeper of the Year: 2004
- Wigan Athletic Player of the Year: 2010–11
- Nominated for the Best at Sport award at the British Muslim Awards: 2015
- Reading FC Player of the Year: 2015–16, 2016–17
See also
In Spanish: Ali Al Habsi para niños
- List of footballers with 100 or more caps
