Ali Al Habsi
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| Ali Al Habsi | ||
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| Personal information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ali Abdullah Harib Al Habsi | |
| Date of birth | December 30, 1981 | |
| Place of birth | Muscat, Oman | |
| Height | 1.94 m (6 ft 41⁄2 in) | |
| Playing position | Goalkeeper | |
| Club information | ||
| Current club | Bolton Wanderers | |
| Number | 26 | |
| Youth clubs | ||
| 1997–1998 | Al Nasr | |
| Senior clubs1 | ||
| Years | Club | App (Gls)* |
| 1998–2002 2002–2003 2003–2005 2006– |
Al-Midhaibi Al Nasr Lyn Oslo Bolton Wanderers |
? (?) ? (?) 62 (0) 10 (0) |
| National team2 | ||
| 2002– | Oman | 66 (0) |
|
1 Senior club appearances and goals |
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Ali Abdullah Harib Al Habsi (Arabic: علي بن عبد الله بن حارب الحبسي, born December 30, 1981 in Muscat) is an Omani goalkeeper who currently plays for Bolton Wanderers in the FA Premier League.
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[edit] Club career
Al Habsi played three seasons for Norwegian club Lyn Oslo, and was voted Arab Goalkeeper of the Year and Norwegian Goalkeeper of the Year in 2004. He finished his Lyn career with a third-place finish in the league - his goalkeeping abilities being one of the main reasons behind this good finish.
Then Bolton Manager Sam Allardyce said: "It is very satisfying to finally sign Ali. We've been monitoring his development for quite some time and I am delighted that he has selected us ahead of a number of other high profile clubs who were keen to sign him."
Al Habsi did not make any first team appearances in his first year at Bolton, though he was on the bench a number of times, and played regularly for the reserve side.
His transfer from Lyn Oslo to Bolton in January 2006 is one of those about which the Stevens inquiry report in June 2007 expressed concerns because of the apparent conflict of interest between agent Craig Allardyce, his father Sam Allardyce - and the club itself[1].
Al Habsi made his full Bolton debut in the 2-1 extra time Carling Cup victory over Fulham in September 2007. He played excellently against Bayern Munich in the UEFA Cup and produced several good saves against the star studded German team.
Al Habsi made his first Premier League start against Wigan Athletic. With Jussi Jääskeläinen injured and needing surgery on his back, Al Habsi has snatched this opportunity and is playing valuable minutes for Bolton which are the most vital, because of Bolton's risk of being relegated from the English Premiership.
After been heavily linked to moves away from Bolton to Galatasaray after not been a key first teamer at Bolton, Al Habsi had this to say to newspaper Daily Mail
"I want to concentrate on Bolton. This is my club and we are having a hard time. We must keep the club in the Premier League, and we can do it.
"I am not in a rush. A goalkeeper can play until 40 or older - I am 26. One day I will have a bad time, every player does, but it's how you cope with it that matters.
"I hope that this year I am one of the players who helps keep Bolton up. We have experienced players, very good players - you can go right through the team-sheet, but we need wins." [2]
[edit] Club Career Stats
Last update: 20 May 2008
| Season | Team | Country | Division | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 98/99 | Al-Midhaibi |  Oman |
? | ?? | ?? |
| 99/00 | Al-Midhaibi | Oman |
? | ?? | ?? |
| 00/01 | Al-Midhaibi | Oman |
? | ?? | ?? |
| 01/02 | Al-Midhaibi | Oman |
? | ?? | ?? |
| 02/03 | Al Nasr | Oman |
1 | ?? | ?? |
| 2003 | F.C. Lyn Oslo |  Norway |
1 | 13 | 0 |
| 2004 | F.C. Lyn Oslo | Norway |
1 | 24 | 0 |
| 2005 | F.C. Lyn Oslo | Norway |
1 | 25 | 0 |
| 05/06 | Bolton Wanderers |  England |
1 | 0 | 0 |
| 06/07 | Bolton Wanderers | England |
1 | 0 | 0 |
| 07/08 | Bolton Wanderers | England |
1 | 10 | 0 |
[edit] International career
Ali started playing in his native Oman at the age of seventeen, and joined the ranks of the Oman under-19s squad, before he was spotted by John Burridge in 2001. Due to the difficulty of securing a work permit, he was unable to join the top English league.
He played for Oman in all of their three group matches at the 2004 AFC Asian Cup in China and also made four appearances for the team in their qualifying campaign for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, which they exited in the first group stage after finishing second in a group with Japan, India and Singapore. He was also Oman's first-choice goalkeeper at the 2007 AFC Asian Cup, appearing in all of their three group matches. [1]
[edit] Trivia
- Ali won the best goal keeper award in the Gulf Cup 3 times in a row, the most ever won by an Arab goalkeeper.
- Al-Habsi won the best goal keeper award in 2004 in Norway.
- He is the first player from the gulf to enter a team on the Premiership.
- He is also the second Arab goalkeeper in history to be in the Premiership.
[edit] Notes and references
- ^ "What Stevens said about each club", www.telegraph.co.uk, 2007-06-16. Retrieved on 2007-06-17.
- ^ Goal.com - Asia - Ali Al-Habsi Focused On Bolton Survival
[edit] External links
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