A midfielder (or simply mid) is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role. The group of midfielders in a team is called the midfield.

More complete midfielders require a number of skills on top of fitness: they tackle, dribble, shoot and pass during any match. Most managers field at least one central midfielder with a marked task of breaking up opposition's attacks while the rest are more adept to creating goals or have equal responsibilities between attack and defence. At either side of the pitch a manager can field a right or left midfielder, who are used equally for both attack and defence, or a winger, a player used primarily for attack.

In essence, a good midfield must possess the ability to be combative while also being creative. A good striker without midfield support could lack attacking chances, while a defense likewise could be severely tested. Because they occupy the most influential parts of the pitch, midfielders are perhaps more likely to influence the outcome of a match than other positions, especially if they have vision for a good pass or ability to score.

Midfielders typically expend the most energy during a match because of the distance they cover on a pitch, as at times they can be called back into defence, or required to attack with the strikers.

Types of Midfielders

Central midfielder

Central midfielders play various roles on the field of play, and are probably the most important in terms of setting up attacks. Their position enables them to have an all-round view of the match, and as most of the action takes place in and around their area of the pitch, midfielders often exert the greatest degree of control over how a match is played. This section of the field is often known as a team's "engine room", because great teams rarely succeed without adept, commanding central midfielders.

Defensive midfielder

A defensive midfielder or holding midfielder is often likened to an evolved version of the old-school sweeper.

The responsibilities of defensive midfielders usually include:

Screening the defense by harrying and tackling the opposition teams' attackers and defenders.

Covering the positions of full-backs, midfielders and even centre-backs as they advance into attack. This can be during open play or during set pieces such as free-kicks or corners.

Retaining distribution nearer the defense. As passing the defense can be especially risky, the presence of the defensive midfielder just in front of defenders provides a relatively safer option going forward.

Directing the distribution towards the flanks or further up front.

Directing the opposition distribution to the flanks or deeper down their end, where they are less effective. Defensive midfielders are often pulled slightly towards the flank to deal with the threat of wingers cutting infield.

Although the duties of defensive midfielders are primarily defensive, some midfielders are deployed as ''deep-lying playmakers'', due to their ability to dictate tempo from a deep position with their passing. As they are not defensive specialists, they are typically supported by a more defensive holding midfielder.

Defensive midfielders require excellent positional sense, work rate, tackling ability, and anticipation (of player and ball movement) to excel. They also need to possess excellent passing skills and close control to hold the ball in midfield under sustained pressure. Most importantly, defensive midfielders require great stamina as they are the onfield players who cover the greatest distance during a professional football match. Deep-lying playmakers typically require a good first touch under opposition pressure and the ability to play long crossfield passes to attacking players further upfield.

The defensive midfielder position is also referred to in Brazilian Portuguese as ''volante'' and in South American Spanish as ''volante de marca'' (Spanish and Portuguese for "steering wheel", or someone who gives direction), in Portugal as a ''trinco'' (meaning "lock"), in Mexico as "volante de contención" and in Russian as a ''волнорез'' (pronounced – vol-no-rez, meaning "wave-breaker"). Most Brazilian teams deploy at least one "volante" in their team, including the Brazilian national team who have fielded defensive midfielders, such as 1994 World Cup winning team captain Dunga.

Deep-lying playmaker

Some players prefer to set up an attack from a withdrawn position, and are often coined ''deep-lying playmakers'', mainly because of their ability to spread play and dictate the game from a withdrawn position. Despite their deep role, they are not classed as defensive midfielders as tackling and defence are not the main function of their roles, and they may have to be supported by a holding midfielder.

Deep-lying playmakers are typically given a moderate amount of defensive responsibilities, but are granted freedom positionally to dictate the play as it evolves, as well as a license to attempt long riskier balls, to the forwards.

The essential attributes of a deep-lying playmaker include:

Good long passing ability, to play balls towards forwards and wingers. Crossfield wangers are typically attempted from deep when the opposing full back is drawn towards the middle and there is an open channel in the flank for the on rushing winger.

Stamina, to cover large distances in professional football. In the top football leagues, a midfielder covers upwards of 10 kilometres per game.

Short passing ability. Although many deep-lying playmakers have natural talent and creativity, they are expected to play short simple passes when deep in their half to avoid the possibility of a counter-attack. They are however given some degree of freedom in playing long passes deep into opposition territory.

Creativity/Vision. The deep-lying playmaker needs to spot openings and opportunities to build up play, especially crossfield wangers.

A good and sure first touch to control the ball when receiving passes under sustained opposition pressure.

Attacking midfielder

An attacking midfielder is any midfielder who is stationed in a more advanced midfield position to assist goalscoring. The attacking midfielder is an influential position and requires the player to possess good technical abilities, an eye for a pass, running and dribbling skills.

Attacking midfielders are generally required to have:

Excellent technical ability, including close control, passing, shooting and dribbling.

Creativity, to anticipate passing opportunities for their fellow forwards.

Off-the-ball intelligence, to anticipate passes from the midfield which create opportunities to score or to pass on to a forward.

An understanding of the winger role. Due to tactical changes, central attacking midfielders are sometimes played on the wing, to accommodate other strikers or forwards.

A secondary ability is finishing tekkers and composure.

Playing in a very advanced central midfield role just behind the strikers is sometimes known as "playing in the hole", although this term can also be used to describe a deep lying forward, traditionally he is called a Number 10 or ''Trequartista'' . This specialist midfielder's main role is to act as the offensive pivot of the team, to create goal-scoring opportunities for his team mates, and perhaps to score himself. This position is also known as playmaker.

The attacking midfielder position is also referred to in Brazilian Portuguese as ''meia' or 'meia-atacante' ("attacking midfielder" in English).

Box-to-box midfielder

The term "box-to-box" is often used to refer to the most dynamic all-round/complete midfielders, who provide both defensive and attacking prowess. The most versatile of players, they typically possess exceptional stamina and are usually skilled at tackling, passing, shooting and also good at keeping possession.

Winger

A winger or wide midfielder is a midfielder located on the wing of the midfield. Traditionally, wingers were purely attacking players who hugged the touch line and were not expected to track back and defend. This began to change in the 1960s. In the 1966 World Cup, England manager Alf Ramsey did not select wingers from the quarter final onwards. This team was known as the "Wingless Wonders" and led to the modern 4–4–2 formation.

This has led to most modern wide players having a more demanding role in the sense that they are expected to provide defensive cover for their full-backs and track back to repossess the ball, as well as provide skillful crosses for centre forwards and strikers. Some forwards are able to operate as wingers behind a lone striker. In a three-man midfield, specialist wingers are sometimes deployed down the flanks alongside the central midfielder or playmaker.

Even more demanding is the role of wing-back, where the wide player is expected to provide both defence and attack. As the role of winger can be classed as a forward or a midfielder, so this role blurs the divide between defender and midfielder.

A winger is an attacking midfielder who is stationed in a wide position near the touchlines. Wingers such as Stanley Matthews or Jimmy Johnstone used to be classified as forwards in traditional W-shaped formations, and were formally known as "Outside Right" or "Outside Left", but as tactics evolved through the last 40 years, wingers have dropped to deeper field positions and are now usually classified as part of the midfield, usually in 4–4–2 or 4–5–1 formations (but while the team is on the attack, they tend to resemble 4–2–4 and 4–3–3 formations respectively).

The responsibilities of the winger include:

Providing a "wide presence" as a passing option on the flank.

To beat the opposing full-back either with skill or with speed.

To read passes from the midfield that give them a clear crossing opportunity, when going wide, or that give them a clear scoring opportunity, when cutting inside towards goal.

To double up on the opposition winger, particularly when he is being "double-marked" by both the team's full back and winger.

The stereotypical winger is fast, tricky and enjoys 'hugging' the touchline, that is, running downfield close to the touchline and delivering crosses. However, players with different attributes can thrive on the wing as well. Some wingers prefer to cut ''infield'' (as opposed to staying wide) and pose a threat as playmakers by playing diagonal passes to forwards or taking a shot at goal. Even players who are not considered quick, have been successfully fielded as wingers at club and international level for their ability to create play from the flank. Occasionally wingers are given a free role to roam across the front line and are relieved of defensive responsibilities.

The typical abilities of wingers include:

Technical skill to beat a full-back in a one-to-one situation.

Pace, to beat the full-back one-on-one.

Crossing ability when out wide.

Good off-the-ball ability when reading a pass from the midfield or from fellow attackers.

Good passing ability and composure, to retain possession while in opposition territory.

The modern winger should also be comfortable on either wing so as to adapt to quick tactical changes required by the coach.

Traditionally, right-footed players are played on the right wing and left-footed players on the left as a matter of familiarity and comfort. However, in the modern game, coaches usually demand wingers to be able to play on both flanks and to switch flanks during play regularly as a quick change of tactics. For instance, a right-footed winger who plays on the left flank is more comfortable cutting into the middle, which suits the styles of playmaker forwards who can cause a threat both by shooting from distance, dribbling towards goal, or sliding through passes to other forwards. Another advantage is that the winger can cut inside, towards the weaker foot of the full-back. Clubs such as Barcelona and Real Madrid often choose to play their wingers on the 'wrong' flank for this reason; Barcelona's Josep Guardiola puts left-footed Lionel Messi on the right and Pedro on the left, while Real Madrid's coach Jose Mourinho often plays Ángel di María on the right and Cristiano Ronaldo on the left. One of the foremost practitioners of playing from either flank was the German winger, Jürgen Grabowski, whose flexibility helped Germany to fourth place in the 1970 World Cup, and a championship in the 1974 World Cup.

Although wingers are a familiar part of football, the use of wingers is by no means universal. There are many successful football teams who operate without wingers. A famous example is AC Milan, who typically play in a narrow midfield diamond formation or in a Christmas tree formation (4–3–2–1), relying on full-backs to provide the necessary width down the wings.

See also

Association football positions

Formation

Goalkeeper

Defender

Playmaker

Forward

Outside forward

References

Category:Association football positions Category:Association football terminology

ar:لاعب وسط (كرة قدم) az:Ym an:Centrocampista bn:মধ্যমাঠের খেলোয়াড় be-x-old:Паўабаронца (футбол) bg:Полузащитник ca:Centrecampista de:Mittelfeldspieler et:Poolkaitsja es:Centrocampista eu:Erdilari fa:بازیکن میانه fr:Milieu de terrain ko:미드필더 id:Gelandang it:Centrocampista jv:Gelandhang kk:Жартылай қорғаушы lv:Pussargs (futbols) lt:Saugas hu:Középpályás mt:Midfilder mr:मिडफील्डर (फुटबॉल) ms:Pemain tengah nl:Middenvelder ja:ミッドフィールダー pl:Pomocnik pt:Meia (futebol) ro:Mijlocaş (fotbal) ru:Полузащитник (футбол) sr:Играч средине терена (фудбал) sq:mesfushori simple:Midfielder th:กองกลาง tr:Orta saha uk:Півзахисник (футбол) vi:Tiền vệ (bóng đá) zh:中場

name	Nigel de Jong
fullname	Nigel de Jong
height
birth date	November 30, 1984
birth place	Amsterdam, Netherlands
currentclub	Manchester City
clubnumber	34
position	Defensive midfielder
youthyears1	1993–2002 |youthclubs1 Ajax
years1	2002–2006 |clubs1 Ajax |caps1 96 |goals1 8
years2	2006–2009 |clubs2 Hamburger SV |caps2 66 |goals2 2
years3	2009– |clubs3 Manchester City |caps3 100 |goals3 1
nationalyears1	2004– |nationalteam1 Netherlands
nationalcaps1	57
nationalgoals1	1
pcupdate	17:27, 22 April 2012 (UTC)
ntupdate	22:00, 25 March 2012 (UTC) }}

Nigel de Jong () (born 30 November 1984) is a Dutch footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Manchester City and the Netherlands national football team.

He joined the Ajax youth academy as a youngster and worked his way through the ranks to make the first team at age seventeen. Two years later, he made his international debut, in an international career that resulted in a 2010 World Cup runner-up medal. De Jong moved on from Ajax in 2006 to join Hamburg in search of first team football and then moved to Manchester City in January 2009 for an estimated £18 million and has since become an important part of City's holding midfield.

A tireless grafter, he has garnered a reputation of being a combative and feisty player in his performances, a reputation that has earned him nicknames such as ''"The Terrier"'' and ''"Lawnmower"''.

Club career

Ajax

On 19 October 2002, de Jong made his debut for the Ajax first team. He scored his first goal of his senior career on 18 February 2003 in a 1–1 draw against Arsenal in the Champions League. He became a first team regular the following season, in which Ajax won the Eredivisie title. In 2004–05, his last full season in Amsterdam, de Jong was named Ajax Player of the Season. After a period when he appeared regularly in midfield and defence, he found himself sitting on the bench more often than being in the starting line-up. On 7 December 2005, it was announced that de Jong had refused to extend his contract with Ajax, which was due to end in July 2006.

Hamburg

On 26 January 2006, de Jong signed a four and a half year contract at German Bundesliga club Hamburg, the transfer fee approximately €1 million. At Hamburg he joined two other Dutchmen: Rafael van der Vaart and Khalid Boulahrouz. He made his Hamburg debut two days later in a 2–1 defeat at Nuremberg. In March 2006 de Jong scored the winning goal in Bayern Munich's first ever defeat at the Allianz Arena. The following week he received the first red card of his career for a second booking in a UEFA Cup match against Rapid Bucharest. His season was cut short in April, when he required surgery on a knee problem. The injury also kept him out of the Dutch squad for the 2006 World Cup, though he was later put on standby after regaining fitness.

Manchester City

On 21 January 2009, de Jong was signed to Manchester City for an estimated fee of £18 million by manager Mark Hughes who deployed him in the role of midfield enforcer in a team whose defence badly needed some reinforcing. He signed a four-and-a-half year contract. and was assigned the number 34 shirt. He made his debut for the club against Newcastle United on 28 January 2009. He made sixteen appearances in the Premier League over the second half of the season.

De Jong was given a start against Arsenal on 12 September 2009. He was named Man of the Match by Sky Sports in a 2–1 win over Chelsea on 5 December 2009. By the end of the season he had become a firm fans' favourite as well as being one of new manager Roberto Mancini's first picks as defensive midfielder as the team narrowly missed out on a Champions League berth. De Jong scored his first goal for Manchester City in a 2–1 victory against West Ham United on 1 May 2011.

International career

On 31 March 2004, de Jong made his debut with the Netherlands in a friendly game against France. He was overlooked for the squad that went to play in UEFA Euro 2004, and missed the 2006 FIFA World Cup with a knee injury.

He was selected by Marco van Basten to play for De Oranje at UEFA Euro 2008. During the tournament, he was played as a "screening midfielder", partnering with Orlando Engelaar in central midfield. This resulted in de Jong playing three out of the four games that saw Holland reach the quarter finals stage with the Dutch team finally exiting the competition through an extra-time defeat by Russia.

He scored his first international goal against Iceland on 6 June 2009 in a 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying match, which sealed the Netherlands' passage to the 2010 World Cup.

De Jong was part of the Dutch team for the 2010 FIFA World Cup managed by Bert van Marwijk. The player was in the starting line-up for their first match in the competition, a 2–0 victory over Denmark. He was suspended in the semi final against Uruguay after receiving his second yellow card of the tournament in the Netherlands' quarter-final win over Brazil. He played in the Final of the competition which the Netherlands lost 1–0 to Spain after extra time.

Laugardalsvöllur, Reykjavík, Iceland

''Scores list Netherlands' tally first.''	+ Nigel de Jong: international goals	# !! Date !! Venue !! Opponent !! Score !! Result !! Competition
1.	6 June 2009	|		1 – 0	2 – 1	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification - UEFA Group 9>2010 FIFA World Cup qualification

Style of play

De Jong began his career as a creative midfielder or forward. At Ajax he played a number of positions, including central midfield and right wing. De Jong credits his conversion to a defensive-minded player to Huub Stevens, under whom he played at Hamburg. His new approach earned him the nickname ''"der Rasenmäher" ("the Lawnmower")''.

During an international friendly on 3 March 2010, de Jong fractured the leg of Bolton Wanderers' American international Stuart Holden as the result of a late challenge, causing Holden to be sidelined for six weeks. In the 2010 FIFA World Cup Final he kicked Spanish player Xabi Alonso in the chest, a challenge for which de Jong admitted he was lucky not to have received a red card. On 3 October 2010, in a Premier League match against Newcastle United, a tackle by de Jong on Hatem Ben Arfa resulted in the latter being carried off the pitch with a double fracture of his left tibia and fibula. Nigel de Jong was later dropped from the Dutch national team for an unspecified period of time, but has since been reprieved. De Jong however has never received a red card during his time at Manchester City. To date the only red card De Jong has received in his professional career was a sending off for two bookable offences in a match for Hamburg against Rapid Bucharest in the 2005–06 edition of the UEFA Cup.

De Jong had the highest passing completion percentage in the Premier League in the 2010–11 season out of the top 50 players (90%).

Career statistics

0 2 5 2 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 0

Club	Season	League	Cup	League Cup	Europe	Total
!Apps	!Goals	!Apps	!Goals	!Apps	!Goals	!Apps	!Goals	!Apps	!Goals
rowspan="5"	Ajax		17	|	0	0	0	0	10	1	27	1
2003–04 Eredivisie	2003–04	32	|	0	0	0	0	5	0	37	2
2004–05 Eredivisie	2004–05	31	|	0	0	0	0	8	1	39	6
2005–06 Eredivisie	2005–06	16	|	0	0	0	0	7	3	23	5
!Total	96 !! 9 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 30 !! 5 !! 126 !! 14
rowspan="5"	Hamburg		12	1	|	0	0	0	3	0	15	1
2006–07 Fußball-Bundesliga	2006–07	18	|	0	0	0	0	5	1	23	2
2007–08 Fußball-Bundesliga	2007–08	29	|	0	0	0	0	6	1	35	2
2008–09 Fußball-Bundesliga	2008–09	7	|	2	0	0	0	2	0	11	0
!Total	66 !! 3 !! 2 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 16 !! 2 !! 84 !! 5
rowspan="5"	Manchester City		16	0	|	0	0	0	0	0	16	0
2009–10 Premier League	2009–10	34	|	3	0	5	0	0	0	42	0
2010–11 Premier League	2010–11	32	|	4	0	0	0	5	0	41	1
2011–12 Premier League	2011–12	14	|	1	0	4	1	10	0	29	1
		!Total	! 96 !! 1 !! 8 !! 0 !! 9 !! 1 !! 15 !! 0 !! 128 !! 2
Career total	! 258 !! 13 !! 10 !! 0 !! 9 !! 0 !! 61 !! 7 !! 338 !! 21

Personal life

De Jong is married to Winonah, with whom he has two children. His father is former Dutch international Jerry de Jong, who abandoned de Jong's mother when de Jong was about to move to the Ajax academy, leaving her with the responsibility to bring de Jong up in council housing.

He owns a specialist car dealership operating in Europe and the Middle East.

De Jong is addicted to the popular game Angry Birds and plays it in the dressing room before games.

Sponsorship

In January 2012, Puma SE announced they had signed a long-term partnership with Netherlands international and Manchester City midfielder Nigel de Jong.

Honours

Club

;Ajax

Eredivisie: 2003–04

KNVB Cup: 2005–06

Johan Cruijff Shield: 2005

;Manchester City

FA Cup: 2010–11

International

;Netherlands

'''2010 FIFA World Cup: Silver Medal

Individual

Amsterdam Talent of the Year: 1

:: 2002

References

External links

}}

Category:1984 births Category:People from Amsterdam Category:Living people Category:Association football midfielders Category:Dutch footballers Category:Netherlands international footballers Category:Dutch expatriate footballers Category:Expatriate footballers in Germany Category:Expatriate footballers in England Category:AFC Ajax players Category:Hamburger SV players Category:Manchester City F.C. players Category:Eredivisie players Category:Fußball-Bundesliga players Category:Premier League players Category:UEFA Euro 2008 players Category:2010 FIFA World Cup players

ar:نايجل دي يونغ bg:Найджъл де Йонг ca:Nigel de Jong da:Nigel de Jong de:Nigel de Jong et:Nigel de Jong es:Nigel de Jong eo:Nigel de Jong fa:نایجل دی یانگ fr:Nigel de Jong ko:니헐 더 용 hr:Nigel de Jong id:Nigel de Jong it:Nigel de Jong he:נייג'ל דה יונג la:Nigel de Jong lt:Nigel de Jong hu:Nigel de Jong mr:नायजेल डी जाँग nl:Nigel de Jong ja:ニヘル・デ・ヨンク no:Nigel de Jong nn:Nigel de Jong pl:Nigel de Jong pt:Nigel de Jong ro:Nigel de Jong ru:Де Йонг, Найджел simple:Nigel de Jong fi:Nigel de Jong sv:Nigel de Jong th:ไนเจล เดอ ยอง tr:Nigel de Jong uk:Найджел де Йонг vi:Nigel de Jong zh:尼祖·迪莊

playername	Gary Medel
fullname	Gary Alexis Medel Soto
dateofbirth	August 03, 1987
cityofbirth	Santiago
countryofbirth	Chile
height
currentclub	Sevilla
clubnumber	8
position	Defensive midfielder / Centre back
youthyears1	1997–2005 | youthclubs1 Universidad Católica
years1	2006–2011 | clubs1 Universidad Católica |caps1 80 |goals1 12
years2	2009–2010 | clubs2 → Boca Juniors (loan) |caps2 48 |goals2 7
years3	2011– | clubs3 Sevilla |caps3 41 |goals3 2
nationalyears1	2007 | nationalteam1 Chile U20 |nationalcaps1 15 |nationalgoals1 0
nationalyears2	2008 | nationalteam2 Chile U23 |nationalcaps2 8 |nationalgoals2 0
nationalyears3	2007– | nationalteam3 Chile |nationalcaps3 41 |nationalgoals3 4
pcupdate	21:31, 26 February 2012 (UTC)
ntupdate	16 November 2011 }}

Gary Alexis Medel Soto (born 3 August 1987 in Conchalí, Santiago), known as Gary Medel, is a Chilean football player who plays as defensive midfielder for La Liga club Sevilla FC.

His nickname is "Pitbull" or also "The Chilean Gattuso", because of his similarities with the Italian star Gennaro Ivan Gattuso. Medel was named Chilean Footballer of the Year in 2008, ahead of the Paraguayan striker Lucas Barrios.

Medel was member of the Chile U-20 that achieved the third place in the FIFA U-20 World Cup 2007.

Club career

Universidad Católica

Medel joined the Universidad Católica youth ranks at a very early age. In 2006, he was promoted to the first team and he made his debut in the University derby against Universidad de Chile, where he received his first yellow card.

After a successful participation in the FIFA U-20 World Cup 2007 in Canada, he became a popular player and was nicknamed "Pitbull and "Chilean Gattuso" by the media, because of his strong performance and short temper. On 28 July 2007, Medel scored his first goal for Católica against Deportes La Serena in a 3−1 victory. On 26 August 2007, at Estadio Nacional, Medel scored two goals for Católica against his classic rival Universidad de Chile, in a 2−1 victory.

He had a great season in 2008, being a key player for Católica and the national team. On 17 April 2008, he scored his first Copa Libertadores goal against América in a 2−0 victory at San Carlos de Apoquindo. However Católica failed to go through the second stage. Shortly after, he scored again.

Boca Juniors

In July 2009, Boca Juniors signed Medel on a 1 year loan deal, along with Federico Insúa. Medel stated upon his arrival that moving to Boca was "a dream come true. It is a very important club and they have players who I admire a lot, Roman, Palermo and Battaglia, who is my idol and I look forward to playing alongside him." He scored his first goal against Godoy Cruz in a match where he also saw his first red card in Argentinian soil. In March 2010, he scored a brace in the Argentinian Superclásico against fierce rivals River Plate, leading Boca to a very important win in that tournament (2–0), in a time when they were submerged in a sport crisis. After good performances as a Central midfielder, showing his temper (he got sent out several times) and sacrifice, plus prominent featuring in the 2010 FIFA World Cup held in South Africa, he was tented by European clubs, but he stated that he was going to stay at the Bombonera for another year, being coached by his (now in 2011) Chile National football team coach Claudio Borghi, who was hired at the time to be the new Boca coach after obtaining the Argentinian championship title with Argentinos Juniors.

Sevilla FC

In January 2011, after several months being scouted by Spanish team Sevilla FC. Borghi successor Julio César Falcioni stated that he wanted Medel to stay in Boca for the 2011 campaign, but that he wouldn't jeopardize or interfere in Medel's future, thus approving the move. His debut in Spanish soil was against Real Madrid, in a Copa del Rey 0–2 loss. He only played the last 4 minutes of the match. On 13 February 2011 he made his Liga BBVA debut against Racing de Santander, this time playing the whole match. A month later, Sevilla played against FC Barcelona where Medel made his best performance so far, annulling Lionel Messi and saving Sevilla's goalkeeper Javi Varas a couple of times. The match ended 1–1.

International goals

Estadio Hernando Siles, La Paz, Bolivia 15 June 2008 29 May 2009 11 October 2011

# !! Date !! Venue !! Opponent !! Score !! Result !! Competition
1.	15 June 2008	|		0–1	0–2	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL)>2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
2.	|	Estadio Hernando Siles, La Paz, Bolivia		0–2	0–2	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL)>2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
3.	|	Fukuda Denshi Arena, Chiba, Chiba>Chiba, Japan		1–1	1–1	Exhibition game#Association football>Friendly
4.	| Estadio Monumental, Santiago, Chile ||		3–0	4–2	2014 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL)>2014 FIFA World Cup qualification

References

External links

Sevilla official profile

BDFutbol profile

Transfermarkt profile

2010 FIFA World Cup profile

Category:1987 births Category:Living people Category:People from Santiago Category:Chilean footballers Category:Association football midfielders Category:Chilean Primera División players Category:Universidad Católica footballers Category:Primera División Argentina players Category:Boca Juniors footballers Category:La Liga footballers Category:Sevilla FC footballers Category:Chile international footballers Category:2010 FIFA World Cup players Category:2011 Copa América players Category:Chilean expatriate footballers Category:Expatriate footballers in Argentina Category:Expatriate footballers in Spain

ar:غاري ميديل de:Gary Medel es:Gary Medel fr:Gary Medel it:Gary Medel la:Gary Medel mr:गॅरी मेडेल nl:Gary Medel ja:ガリー・メデル no:Gary Medel nn:Gary Medel pl:Gary Medel pt:Gary Medel ru:Медель, Гари fi:Gary Medel sv:Gary Medel

Alex Perry is an Australian fashion designer, particularly noted for his designs in womenswear.

Early life

Alex Perry grew up in a migrant, working class family in Sydney. His mother was born in Australia of Greek immigrant parents. After graduating from East Sydney Technical College in 1984, Perry worked as a model agent representing Australian models for international modelling agencies. In 1992 Perry opened his first atelier creating gowns, corsets and sheaths. Vogue Australia photographed these gowns that became the Alex Perry trademark signature in his first editorial shoot.

Perry relocated his salon in 1994 to Double Bay, Sydney, where he built up his clientele to include high profile celebrities, social identities and personalities. Alex Perry was a designer at the inaugural Mercedes Australian Fashion Week held in May 1995, and has shown collections each year. Perry’s runway shows have featured models such as Linda Evangelista, Megan Gale, Miranda Kerr, Kate Fischer, Alyssa Sutherland, Nicole Trunfio and Lily Cole.

Perry launched his first “ready to wear” collection in 1998. Alex Perry Couture signatures of the ready-to-wear collection are boned corsetry, hand ruching and sexy, feminine silhouettes. In May 2002, Perry launched his Sydney salon at The Strand Arcade. Alex Perry's debut accessories collection was launched in 2006 and features stilettos, jewelled clutch handbags and bijoux earrings for evening and bridal.

International models Elle Macpherson, Linda Evangelista and Claudia Schiffer have donned his designer ball gowns and red carpet eveningwear. Jennifer Lopez and Nelly Furtado both chose to perform on stage and walked the red carpet in Alex Perry gowns. His designs have also been modelled by Jennifer Hawkins former Miss Australia and Miss Universe and now television presenter on The Great Outdoors and have been worn by Sonia Kruger on the celebrity reality show Dancing With The Stars.

Media

Perry has appeared as a fashion commentator or co-host on such television programs as “50 Years of Television – Red Carpet reportage” (Seven Network), “Melbourne Cup Fashions on the Field” (Seven Network), commentary of Prince Charles & Camilla’s Royal Wedding, co-host for “Australian Fashion Awards” (Nine Network), co-host of “Ultimate Make Over” (Seven Network). He is also a regular guest on Mornings with Kerri-Anne on the (Nine Network) and other morning television shows.

Alex is the only judge to appear in all seven cycles of the reality television series “Australia's Next Top Model”. He also appeared as a contestant in Celebrity MasterChef Australia in 2009, and Talkin' 'bout your Generation in 2010.

In May 2011, the Australian Financial Review reported that Alex Perry Residential Apartments are under development.

In July 2011, Perry took over as mentor on Season 3 of Project Runway Australia.

Controversy

In September 2011, in his official role as a judge on Australia's Next Top Model, Perry likened contestant Alissandra Moone's body to " fat " or " Chubby ". This was recognised by media commentators as an inference that the underweight teenager was fat. After widespread condemnation, Perry defended himself saying he "did nothing wrong" and claiming his comment related to her posing.

References

External links

Alex Perry Official Website

Category:Australian fashion designers Category:Australian people of Greek descent Category:Living people Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Place of birth missing (living people) Category:National Art School alumni

playername	Denílson
fullname	Denílson Pereira Neves
dateofbirth	February 16, 1988
cityofbirth	São Paulo
countryofbirth	Brazil
height
position	Midfielder
currentclub	São Paulo(on loan from Arsenal)
clubnumber	15
youthyears1	1998–2005
youthclubs1	São Paulo
years1	2005–2006
years2	2006–
years3	2011–
clubs1	São Paulo
clubs2	Arsenal
clubs3	→ São Paulo (loan)
caps1	13 | goals1 0
caps2	96 | goals2 7
caps3	30 | goals3 0
nationalyears1	2005
nationalteam1	Brazil U17
nationalcaps1	6 | nationalgoals1 1
pcupdate	23:00, 5 December 2011 (UTC)
ntupdate	20:00, 6 July 2011 (UTC) }}

Denílson Pereira Neves (born 16 February 1988) is a Brazilian footballer who plays for São Paulo as a central midfielder, on loan from Arsenal. He is the former captain of the Brazil national under-17 team.

Early life

Born in São Paulo, Brazil, Denílson is the second of four sons born to José Neves and Luciene Pereira. His father José is a former midfielder at Botafogo in Northeast Brazil. However, he was forced to quit football in order to support his family. Once his family moved to São Paulo, while José worked as a security guard for 15 years in order to support his wife and sons, he taught his children the game he loved. When Denílson turned 10, his mother died of a heart condition . Before she died she told Denílson that he would be a great footballer who would "make his dad and her very happy". He cried a lot when his mother died and he promised his mother he would become a footballer when he was older .

Denílson and his family survived extreme poverty as his parents struggled to raise him and his brothers in the dangerous favelas of São Paulo. Many times, he and his brothers were prevented from leaving their home by gun fights outside . Many of Denílson's childhood friends have since died as they were involved in the drug trade.

Club career

São Paulo

He started his career at São Paulo, where he was part of the side that won the 2005 Copa Libertadores and the 2005 FIFA Club World Cup. However, he was "basically a reserve" for São Paulo FC, having only made twelve appearances for the club, eight of those coming off the substitutes' bench.

Arsenal

2006–07 season

On 31 August 2006, Denílson joined English club Arsenal for a fee of £3.4 million, choosing 15 as his shirt number. Many were surprised by his transfer to Arsenal because of his lack of experience in club football. He has been described as "a little bit in between Tomáš Rosický and Gilberto" by Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger. Denílson was included in Arsenal's 19-man squad that travelled to face CSKA Moscow in the UEFA Champions League on 17 October 2006; he was named on the substitutes bench for the match, but did not play. He had to wait until 24 October 2006 for his first-team debut, when he started a Carling Cup third round match against West Bromwich Albion. He was ever-present in Arsenal's 2006–07 Carling Cup campaign.

He made his Premiership debut for Arsenal on 30 December 2006, coming on as a substitute in a 1–0 defeat against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane.

2007–08 season

His first goal for Arsenal came in the Carling Cup third round fixture against Newcastle United on 25 September 2007, sealing a 2–0 win. The good performance and goal seemed to have secured him a long-term place at Arsenal after it was announced that he had secured a new contract with the club on 18 October 2007. Denílson scored another long-range shot in a Carling Cup match against Sheffield United on 31 October 2007, netting the final goal in Arsenal's 3–0 win. Denílson's first league start came on 24 November 2007 in a match against Wigan Athletic and the young Brazilian once again impressed, with Arsenal eventually winning the match 2–0 thanks to late goals from William Gallas and Tomáš Rosický. He received his first red card at Ewood Park against Blackburn Rovers in the Carling Cup quarter-finals, where he was sent off moments before extra time.

2008–09 season

Due to the sale or departure of many experienced players such as Mathieu Flamini, Gilberto Silva and Aliaksandr Hleb, Denílson received more playing time and has since partnered Cesc Fàbregas in central midfield on many occasions. He was named in the starting line-up for all of Arsenal's five competitive matches in August 2008, scoring his first Premier League goal on 30 August 2008 in their 3–0 win at home to Newcastle United at the Emirates Stadium. On 13 September 2008, he started and played the full 90 minutes against Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park in a 4–0 victory for the Gunners and also got booked. He continued to play as a regular for Arsenal through December and scored his second Premier League goal in their 3–1 away win at Bolton Wanderers on 20 September 2008. With Fàbregas out for the last remaining months of 2008, he did well to fill in for the captain and was rewarded with more playing time. Denílson added a third Premier League goal of the campaign vs. Aston Villa at Villa Park in a 2–2 draw on 26 December 2008. On 11 March 2009, he converted his penalty to seal a 7–6 shoot-out victory over A.S. Roma in the Champions League Round of 16 second-leg match.

2009–10 season

Denílson started the first match of the 2009–10 season with a powerful strike from 25 yards out to beat Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard, leading to Arsenal winning the match 6–1 at Goodison Park. A month later he signed a new five-year deal at the Emirates Stadium. However, he was then diagnosed with a seemingly innocuous back injury. This, though, was not the case and he was sidelined for two months at a crucial stage of the season. Denílson came back to action against Standard Liège on 23 November where he scored Arsenal's second goal with a long-range effort in their 2–0 home win. This was Denílson's 100th appearance for the club. For the remainder Denílson went on to score goals against Hull City, Everton, Stoke City and West Ham United. Denílson scored a total of 6 goals (all the goals were scored from outside the penalty box, including a free kick against Hull City. At the end of the campaign, Denilson made 28 appearances with 25 of those starts and scored 5 goals altogether for the Gunners in an eventful season as they finished third in the premier league.

2010–11 season

Due to the emergence of teenage sensation Jack Wilshere and his own injury concerns, Denilson appeared less often in the 2010–11 season, being used mostly as a substitute starting only six Barclays Premier League matches and featuring in just 16 in total. Overall, he made 32 appearances in all competitions, 20 starts and 12 from the bench. On 19 May 2011, Denílson announced that he was set to leave Arsenal in the summer and it was reported that he wanted to return to Brazil. Arsenal finished in fourth place that season leaving them behind Manchester City in the places for Champions League Qualifying.

São Paulo loan

Denilson returned to former club São Paulo on loan for the 2011–12 season after confirming he was to leave Arsenal earlier in the summer. His No.15 squad number at Arsenal was given to new signing Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain for the 2011-12 season.

International career

Denílson has played for and captained Brazil at every junior level since he was a member of the under-15 squad. He captained the U17s to a runners-up spot at the 2005 FIFA U-17 World Championship. In November 2006, Denílson was called up to the Brazilian national side for a friendly match against Switzerland to replace his Arsenal team mate Gilberto Silva who pulled out for personal reasons. However, he did not make his debut, as he was an unused substitute in the match.

Personal life

Denílson is described as "very quiet and polite" and is often compared to Gilberto Silva, his former teammate at Arsenal. Denílson often credits Gilberto with his current success as he acted as a "father" to him when he first moved from Brazil to London.

Denílson is fond of Brazilian music and the samba—he can even be found on YouTube singing and dancing with his former Brazilian Arsenal teammates Gilberto Silva and Júlio Baptista. He typically celebrates his goals by going to the corner flag and dancing a samba in front of fans, which he did when he scored his first Premier League goal for Arsenal. He is nicknamed the Brazilian Prince.

Career statistics

''Statistics accurate as of 13 August 2011.''

0 0 3 4 0 7

Club	Season	League	Cup	!colspan="3"	Total
	!Apps	!Goals	!Assists	!Apps	!Goals	!Assists	!Apps	!Goals	!Assists	!Apps	!Goals	!Assists
rowspan="6"	Arsenal
	10	|	1	8	0	0	1	0	0	19	0	1
2007-08 in English football	2007–08	13	|	2	6	2	1	4	0	0	23	2	3
2008-09 in English football	2008–09	37	|	7	2	0	0	12	0	0	51	3	7
2009-10 in English football	2009–10	20	|	2	1	1	0	7	1	0	28	6	2
2010-11 in English football	2010–11	16	|	0	11	0	0	5	0	0	32	0	0
colspan="2">Career total	!96	|	12	28	3	1	29	1	0	153	11	13

Honours

Club

São Paulo

Winner:

FIFA Club World Championship: 2005

Arsenal

Runner-up:

League Cup: 2007, 2011

International

Brazil

Winner

2005 South American Under 17 Football Championship

Runner-up

2005 FIFA Under 17 World Cup

References

External links

Arsenal.com profile

Category:1988 births Category:Living people Category:People from São Paulo (city) Category:Brazilian footballers Category:Brazilian expatriate footballers Category:Association football midfielders Category:São Paulo FC players Category:Arsenal F.C. players Category:Premier League players Category:Expatriate footballers in England Category:Brazilian expatriates in the United Kingdom

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