title: Giant's Causeway

text: The Belfast-Derry railway line run by Northern Ireland Railways connects to Coleraine and along the Coleraine-Portrush branch line to Portrush. Locally, Ulsterbus provides connections to the railway stations. There is a scenic walk of 7 miles from Portrush alongside Dunluce Castle and the Giant's Causeway and Bushmills Railway.


title: Mammary intercourse

text: Mammary intercourse is a sex act, performed as either foreplay or as non-penetrative sex, that involves the stimulation of a man's penis by a woman's breasts and vice versa. It involves placing the penis between a woman's breasts and moving the penis up and down to simulate sexual penetration and to create sexual pleasure. It may be used as an alternative to a handjob.


title: Mammary intercourse

text: Mammary intercourse involves a man kneeling or sitting on a woman's stomach or chest, placing his erect penis on her cleavage, and rubbing or thrusting while the breasts are squeezed around the penile shaft, by either the woman or the man, creating tightness similar to masturbation, and in simulation of penetrative sex. A lubricant, masturbation cream, or saliva may be used between the breasts or on the penis. Alternatively, the woman can tighten her breasts around the penis and move them back and forth. Other positions involves either the man standing while the woman kneels, or the man laying back with the woman on top.


title: Mammary intercourse

text: In some cases, mammary intercourse can be combined with oral sex. Mammary intercourse may be carried out face to face or head to tail.


title: Mammary intercourse

text: Mammary intercourse is mostly suited for women with naturally larger breasts, while it is recommended that woman with smaller breasts be on top. Smaller female breasts, however, tend to be more sensitive than larger ones.


title: Mammary intercourse

text: The woman normally does not receive direct sexual stimulation during mammary intercourse, other than the erotic stimulation of bringing her partner to orgasm, without sexual penetration. However, Alex Comfort has said that mammary intercourse can produce orgasm in women with sensitive breasts (what Margot Anand terms "local orgasms of the breast"), and it was one of the nine substitute exercises for penetrative sexual activities, as detailed in the "Paradis Charnels" of 1903. It is possible for the man to perform a fingering on the woman during mammary intercourse.


title: Mammary intercourse

text: Since mammary intercourse is a non-penetrative sex act, the risk of passing a sexually transmitted infection (STI) that requires direct contact between the mucous membranes and pre-ejaculate or semen is greatly reduced. HIV is among the infections that require such direct contact and is therefore very unlikely to be transmitted via mammary intercourse. A study of the condom usage habits of New Zealand's sex workers said that they offered various safe sex alternatives to vaginal sex to clients who refused to wear a condom. One sex worker said that mammary intercourse was one alternative used; mammary intercourse performed by a woman with large breasts felt to the client like penetrative vaginal sex.


title: Mammary intercourse

text: Depictions of the practice, at least in advertising, have been described as pornographic or erotic. Mammary intercourse has sometimes been considered a perversion. Sigmund Freud, however, considered such extensions of sexual interest to fall within the range of the normal, unless marked out by exclusivity (i.e. the repudiation of all other forms of sexual contact).


title: Jackie Shroff

text: Jaikishan Kakubhai Shroff (born 1 February 1957), popularly known as Jackie Shroff, is an Indian actor and former model. He has been in the Bollywood industry for over four decades, and , has appeared in over 220 films in 13 languages namely Hindi, Tamil, Bengali, Marathi, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, Punjabi, Bhojpuri, Konkani, Odia, Gujarati and English. He has won four Filmfare Awards among other accolades. He became an overnight star with Subhash Ghai's "Hero" (1983) film, and eventually established himself as one of the leading men of Indian cinema from 1980s to 1990s.


title: Jackie Shroff

text: Shroff was born as Jaikishan Kakubhai Shroff in Bombay (present Mumbai), India. His father, Kakubhai Haribhai Shroff, was Gujarati, while his mother was a Turkmen who fled from Kazakhstan (then the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic under the Russian Soviet Union) during a coup. His maternal grandmother escaped to Ladakh along with her seven daughters when there was a coup in Kazakhstan. They migrated to Delhi, and finally to Mumbai. His father came from a Gujarati family of merchants and traders. However, they lost all of their money in the stock market and his father had to leave home at the age of 17. His father met his mother when both were teenagers and got married.


title: Jackie Shroff

text: As a youngster, he modelled in a few advertisements including Savage perfumes. It was one of his classmates in school who gave Shroff his name "Jackie" and then filmmaker Subhash Ghai stuck to this name when he launched him in the film "Hero". Shroff regularly revisits his childhood home in Teen Batti.


title: Jackie Shroff

text: Shroff married his longtime girlfriend Ayesha Dutt, a model who later became a film producer, on her birthday, 5 June 1987. The couple runs a media company Jackie Shroff Entertainment Limited. They jointly owned 10% shares in Sony TV from its launch until 2012, when they sold their stake and ended their 15-year-long association with Sony TV. They have two children: a daughter, and a son, Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff.


title: Jackie Shroff

text: Jackie Shroff dropped out of school after his 11th standard as his family did not have much money. He tried his hand working as an apprentice chef at Taj Hotels and as a flight attendant at Air India, but he was rejected from both places because of his lack of qualifications. He then started working as a travel agent in a local company called "Trade Wings" near Jehangir Art Gallery. An advertising agency accountant spotted him at the bus stand and asked him if he would be interested in modelling. The next day, Shroff went to the advertising agency (National advertising agency) located in the same building as Davar's college near Flora Fountain for the photo shoot during his lunch time. This photo shoot for a suit shirt launched Shroff on his modelling path. In 1982, Shroff made his acting debut in Dev Anand's movie "Swami Dada". In 1983, Subhash Ghai cast him in the lead role for the movie "Hero", paired against Meenakshi Sheshadri. The film was a major critical and commercial success, and one of the highest grossers of 1983. By "Hero", both Shroff and Seshadri had become overnight stars. He continued to work in Subhash Ghai movies, irrespective of any role that was offered. After "Hero", he did several other films, such as "Andar Baahar". "Jaanoo" and "Yudh" were successful. In 1986 he did "Karma" which became the highest-grossing film of 1986. His next film to be released was "Kaash". Later films, such as "Dahleez" and "Sachché Ká Bol-Bálá" were critically acclaimed, but failed at the box office. But he came back to success through films such as "Ram Lakhan", "Tridev" and "Parinda", which won him filmfare award for best actor. In the 90s he was part of successful films such as "Saudagar", "Angaar", "Sapne Sajan Ke", "Gardish", "Khalnayak", "1942: A Love Story", "Rangeela", "Agnisakshi", "Border" & "Shapath".


title: Jackie Shroff

text: In 2010 he appeared in film "Bhoot and Friends". In 2011 he did a cameo role in film "Shraddha In The Name Of God" directed by Gurubhai Thakkar.


title: Jackie Shroff

text: In 2017, Shroff made his debut in Konkani, acting in the film "Soul Curry", which even won him an award. Subsequently, he is to act in another Konkani film scheduled to release in 2019, titled "Kantaar".


title: Jackie Shroff

text: In October 2018, he acted in a short film, "The Playboy Mr. Sawhney". He was also seen in "Paltan". He is to feature in many films in 2019, like "Firrkie", "Bharat", "Saaho", and "Romeo Akbar Walter". He is also going to star in "Prasthanam", which Hindi remake of Telugu film with same name alongside Ali Fazal and Sanjay Dutt.


title: Jackie Shroff

text: Shroff has hosted many television shows like "Lehrein", "Chirtrahar" and "Missing". Dealing with stories of missing people who were never found, "Missing" was popular for its creative narration by Shroff. The show was broadcast on Sony TV, of which he owned some shares. Shroff was also a judge on the magic show "India's Magic Star", broadcast on Indian channel STAR One. The show began on 3 July 2010 and ended on 5 September 2010. In 2014, Shroff and his son Tiger Shroff made an appearance on "Comedy Nights with Kapil". In 2019 Shroff made his digital debut with the series "Criminal Justice".


title: Jackie Shroff

text: He has an organic farm, where he grows organic plants, trees and herbs. He is also the brand ambassador of Thalassemia India and over the years has supported many causes like HIV/AIDS awareness and abolishment of female foeticide. He has also funded the treatment and education of many underprivileged children.


title: Jackie Shroff

text: On 5 March 2021, Shroff donated an ambulance to a Lonavala-based animal shelter in the memory of his late pet dog Rocky.


title: Jackie Shroff

text: He has received a Doctor of Arts for his valuable contribution in the field of Cinema from the Invertis University.


title: The Quintessential Quintuplets

text: The series is published in English by Kodansha USA under the Kodansha Comics imprint. The anime series is licensed in North America under a Crunchyroll–Funimation partnership. An anime television series adaptation produced by Tezuka Productions aired from January to March 2019 on TBS and other channels. A second season produced by Bibury Animation Studios aired from January to March 2021. The second season's sequel, "The Quintessential Quintuplets Movie", was released as a film in May 2022.


title: The Quintessential Quintuplets

text: The series was a commercial success; as of December 2022, the manga had over 20 million copies in circulation, making it one of the best-selling manga series. In 2019, the manga won the award for the "shōnen" category at the 43rd annual Kodansha Manga Awards.


title: The Quintessential Quintuplets

text: High school student Futaro Uesugi is an academically gifted student that leads a difficult life—his mother has died, he has no friends, and on top of all that, his father has incurred a large amount of debt.


title: The Quintessential Quintuplets

text: An opportunity presents itself when the rich Nakano family transfers to his school. Futaro is promptly hired as a highly paid tutor. However, much to Futaro's dismay, he discovers that his five charges—identical quintuplet sisters of varied personalities—have no interest in studying at all and have abysmal grades. Some of the quintuplets are against having Futaro, whom they view as a stranger, in their apartment, but Futaro's diligent tenacity gradually convinces those girls to accept him and to improve their grades.


title: The Quintessential Quintuplets

text: Throughout the series, Futaro develops special relationships with each of the quintuplets. Through a flashforward, it is revealed that he eventually marries one of them, but her true identity is only revealed near the end of the series.


title: The Quintessential Quintuplets

text: The outline for a story about "a group of quintuplets falling in love with the same person" existed even before the serialization of Haruba's previous work, "Karma of Purgatory" (2014–2015), but had rejected by his editor-in-charge. A year later, "Karma of Purgatory" was finishing and it was time to choose the next idea to serialize.


title: The Quintessential Quintuplets

text: Various ideas were pitched too his editor-in-charge , and this time the "quintuplets" idea was accepted. This was not without some reservations, as it had been viewed negatively in two to three of the serialization committees, so it was decided to have a one-shot manga published first. Luckily these reservations were unfounded, as the one-shot received positive reviews, and so was approved to become a serial.


title: The Quintessential Quintuplets

text: From the beginning, the initial idea was for the protagonists to be quintuplets, and although there were suggestions fir the idea of quadruplets and sextuplets was raised, it was rejected very quickly.


title: The Quintessential Quintuplets

text: When designing each of the quintuplets, He was inspired by 15 to 20 of his favorite existing female characters, as "some slice-of-life works only with girls".


title: The Quintessential Quintuplets

text: As the characters were quintuplets, Haruba wanted a way to make them memorable to the reader (similar to how colour was used in 'Super Sentai" with Ichika (yellow), Nino (black), Miku (blue), Yotsuba (green), and Itsuki (red).), and just as the design was almost confirmed he had the idea of adding numbers in their names.


title: The Quintessential Quintuplets

text: The hair colour of the Nakano quintuplets is different when being coloured, which was suggested by Haruba himself, such that they are more distinguishable from each other. The hair colour of the bride in the flashforward is, therefore, a colour-in-between.


title: The Quintessential Quintuplets

text: The flashforward showing that Futaro will eventually marry only one of the Nakano quintuplets was added in order to eliminate the possibility of Futaro marrying all five of them. It was also decided that all quintuplets would have negative feelings towards Futaro from the beginning, because Haruba wanted to write how their relationships improved from hate to love in the story, except Yotsuba, who acts as Futaro's guide for the development of the story.


title: The Quintessential Quintuplets

text: While it is often the norm for harem romantic comedy manga to have sexualized depictions of characters, Haruba has said that he tried to avoid this to some extent after Vol. 1. In his opinion, showing panties which are being worn, i.e. "panchira", makes characters less mysterious and then less interesting to the readers. To keep the characters interesting, the sexy scenes were intended by him to be ambiguous but not straightforward, leading to readers' imagination. The swimsuit appearance of the Nakanos was finally revealed in Ep. 92 as Haruba thought an episode of swimsuits should exist before finishing the story.


title: The Quintessential Quintuplets

text: "The Quintessential Quintuplets" is written and illustrated by Negi Haruba. Before the serialization, a one-shot manga of the same name had been published in 2017 issue 8 of Kodansha's "Weekly Shōnen Magazine" on August 9, 2017, and received positive comments. On December 4, 2019, Haruba announced that the series would end on its 14th "tankōbon" volume. The series finished on February 19, 2020, with a total of 122 chapters.


title: The Quintessential Quintuplets

text: The series has been published in English by Kodansha USA under their Kodansha Comics imprint digitally since June 28, 2018, with a line of physical releases beginning publication on January 1, 2019. By August 2020 and July 2021 respectively, all fourteen volumes have been published digitally and physically.


title: The Quintessential Quintuplets

text: The "all-color" version of the manga series began serialization in Kodansha's online manga platform "MagaPoke" ("Magazine Pocket") on February 26, 2020.


title: The Quintessential Quintuplets

text: In October 2017, a television commercial for the manga was released where Ayane Sakura voiced all five girls.


title: The Quintessential Quintuplets

text: An anime television series adaptation was announced in the combined 36th and 37th issue of "Weekly Shōnen Magazine" on August 8, 2018. The series is directed by Satoshi Kuwabara and written by Keiichirō Ōchi, featuring animation by Tezuka Productions, character designs by Michinosuke Nakamura and Gagakuga, and music by Natsumi Tabuchi, Hanae Nakamura, and Miki Sakurai. The series aired from January 10 to March 28, 2019 on the TBS, SUN, and BS-TBS channels. The series ran for 12 episodes. Crunchyroll streamed the series with Funimation providing the English dub as it airs. Although Tezuka Productions was the main animation studio behind the series, TBS producer Junichirou Tanaka stated that he asked for help from Shaft president Mitsutoshi Kubota for assistance in producing the series' 11th episode. It was ultimately decided that the studio would be outsourced to for the entire episode save for the episode's storyboards, which were drawn by series director Satoshi Kuwabara; however, all other animation, coloring, and compositing aspects of the episode were produced entirely at Shaft.


title: The Quintessential Quintuplets

text: A second season was announced in a special event for the first season on May 5, 2019. Kaori is replacing Satoshi Kuwabara as the director of the season, and Keiichirō Ōchi is returning to write the scripts. Bilbury Animation Studios produced this season. It was originally scheduled to premiere in October 2020, but due to issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the anime aired from January 8 to March 26, 2021.


title: The Quintessential Quintuplets

text: After the second season finished airing, a sequel was announced. On April 18, 2021, the sequel was revealed to be a film. Masato Jinbo directed the film, with the main staff of the second season returning to reprise their roles. It was released in Japan on May 20, 2022.


title: The Quintessential Quintuplets

text: For the first season, Kana Hanazawa, Ayana Taketatsu, Miku Itō, Ayane Sakura, and Inori Minase performed the opening theme song as the group , while Aya Uchida performed the ending theme song "Sign".


title: The Quintessential Quintuplets

text: For the second season, The Nakano Family's Quintuplets performed the opening theme song "Gotōbun no Katachi" and the ending theme song "Hatsukoi". Children's Playground Entertainment licensed the series in Southeast Asia and streamed it on Bilibili.


title: The Quintessential Quintuplets

text: Characters from the series appeared in a collaboration event in the mobile video game "Venus 11 Vivid!!" from May 25 to May 31, 2019.


title: The Quintessential Quintuplets

text: A visual novel titled was developed by Mages for the PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch consoles. It features an original story in a deserted island setting, and was released on March 25, 2021 in Japan.


title: The Quintessential Quintuplets

text: A visual novel based on the film, titled was developed by Mages for the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4, and was released on June 2, 2022 in Japan.


title: The Quintessential Quintuplets

text: In August 2022, Mages announced the development of the third console game of the franchise, which is set to be released in 2023.


title: The Quintessential Quintuplets

text: Multiple exhibitions were held across Japan starting from 2019, including Tokyo, Osaka, Niigata and Nagoya. Besides, an overseas exhibition was held in Taipei, Taiwan in July 2020.


title: The Quintessential Quintuplets

text: "The Quintessential Quintuplets" had 2 million copies in circulation by January 2019; it reached 3 million copies in circulation by February 2019; it had over 15 million copies in circulation by April 2021. and over 16 million copies in circulation by March 2022. As of December 2022, it had sold over 20 million copies.


title: The Quintessential Quintuplets

text: In Japan, the manga series was the fifth-best selling manga in 2019, and the third-best selling manga in the first half of 2020, placing after "" and "One Piece".


title: The Quintessential Quintuplets

text: "The Quintessential Quintuplets" received positive reviews, most notably for its romantic comedy and harem elements. Paul Jensen of "Anime News Network" found the series enjoyable and rated a 4 out of 5 to the series, as he commented "The jokes are funny, the characters range from tolerable to likable, the fanservice doesn't go overboard, and there's no creepy or obnoxious plot point to spoil the party. There's nothing revolutionary about it, but it does a lot of basic things well without showing any major flaws, and that's enough to make this premiere good clean (well, clean-ish) fun." Patrick Frye of "Monsters And Critics" noted that there was "little to no ecchi shenanigans or degrading fan service and the girls move beyond the initial stereotypes and become fleshed-out characters that create a fun dynamic with the main character, Futaro Uesugi. Audiences are tired of watching a lucky everyman stumble his way through unlikely scenarios. Instead, Futaro’s no-nonsense attitude wins the day." Kyle Rogacion of "Goomba Stomp" praised the plot of the anime but criticized its art style and fanservice gags. The series has a current score of 4.6 out of 5 stars on Crunchyroll as of November 2020.


title: The Quintessential Quintuplets

text: The series was nominated for the Next Manga Award 2018, organized by Niconico. It received 16,106 votes, eventually ranking eighth overall. In May 2019, it won the award for Best Shōnen Manga at the 43rd annual Kodansha Manga Awards, alongside "To Your Eternity". On the award ceremony of the 43rd annual Kodansha Manga Awards, as one of the judges, Ken Akamatsu praised "The Quintessential Quintuplets" as "The ultimate complete version of harem "bishōjo" romantic comedy" with "very high quality of illustration".


title: Ken Griffey Jr.

text: George Kenneth Griffey Jr. (born November 21, 1969), nicknamed "Junior" and "the Kid", is an American former professional baseball outfielder who played 22 years in Major League Baseball (MLB). He spent most of his career with the Seattle Mariners and Cincinnati Reds, along with a short stint with the Chicago White Sox. A member of the Baseball Hall of Fame and a thirteen-time All-Star, Griffey is one of the most prolific home run hitters in baseball history; his 630 home runs rank as the seventh-most in MLB history. Griffey was also an exceptional defender and won ten Gold Glove Awards in center field. He is tied for the record of most consecutive games with a home run (eight, with Don Mattingly and Dale Long).


title: Ken Griffey Jr.

text: Griffey signed lucrative deals with companies of international prominence like Nike and Nintendo; his popularity reflected well upon MLB and is credited by some with helping restore its image after the 1994 labor dispute. Griffey is one of only 31 players in baseball history to date to have appeared in major league games in four different calendar decades.


title: Ken Griffey Jr.

text: Following his playing career, Griffey joined the Mariners' front office as a special consultant. He was inducted into both the Mariners' Hall of Fame and the Reds Hall of Fame. In 2016, Griffey was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, receiving 99.32% of the vote, breaking pitcher Tom Seaver's record of 98.84%, a record that had stood for 24 years.


title: Ken Griffey Jr.

text: Griffey is the son of former MLB player Ken Griffey Sr. and the father of former football player Trey Griffey.


title: Ken Griffey Jr.

text: Griffey was born in Donora, Pennsylvania, on November 21, 1969. His family moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, where his father, Ken Griffey Sr., played for the Cincinnati Reds, when Ken Jr. was three years old. Ken Jr. was in the clubhouse during his father's back-to-back championships in the 1975 and 1976 World Series. When Griffey was a young child, Ken Sr. would instill in him the pride of a team accomplishment rather than the individual performance: "My dad would have bopped me on the head when I was a kid if I came home bragging about what I did on the field. He only wanted to know what the team did." He attended Archbishop Moeller High School in Cincinnati (the same high school as his future teammate Barry Larkin), where he was the U.S high school baseball player of the year in 1987. Griffey hit .478 with 17 home runs in his two seasons of high school baseball.


title: Ken Griffey Jr.

text: Griffey also played football as a wide receiver and received scholarship offers to play college football for such programs as Oklahoma and Michigan.


title: Ken Griffey Jr.

text: Griffey was the number one overall selection by the Seattle Mariners during the 1987 Major League Baseball draft held on June 2, 1987. He received a signing bonus of $160,000 from the Mariners. On June 11, 1987, Griffey joined the Bellingham Mariners of the Northwest League, a Class A Short Season minor league. He made his professional debut on June 16, 1987. During the 54-game season he hit .313 with 14 home runs, 40 runs batted in, and 13 steals. "Baseball America" magazine named him the league's number one major league prospect.


title: Ken Griffey Jr.

text: In 1988, Griffey joined the San Bernardino Spirit of the Class A-Advanced California League. During his 58 games with the Spirit, Griffey batted .338, hit 11 home runs, drove in 42 runs, and stole 32 bases. Late in the season, Griffey was promoted to the Vermont Mariners of the Class AA Eastern League. He played the final 17 games with the club, hitting .279 with two home runs and 10 runs batted in.


title: Ken Griffey Jr.

text: In his first 11 seasons with Seattle (1989–1999), Griffey established himself as one of the most prolific and exciting players of the era, racking up 1,752 hits, 398 home runs, 1,152 runs batted in, and 167 stolen bases. He led the American League in home runs for four seasons (1994, 1997, 1998, and 1999), was voted the A.L. MVP in 1997, and maintained a .297 career batting average. In his first major league at-bat, he doubled.


title: Ken Griffey Jr.

text: Griffey's defense in center field was widely considered the standard of elite fielding during the decade, exemplified by his streak of 10 straight Gold Gloves from 1990–1999. His impressive range allowed frequent spectacular diving plays, and he often dazzled fans with over-the-shoulder basket catches and robbed opposing hitters of home runs by leaping up and pulling them back into the field of play. He was featured on the Wheaties cereal box and had his own signature sneaker line from Nike, Inc.


title: Ken Griffey Jr.

text: On April 3, 1989, in his very first MLB plate appearance, Griffey hit a line-drive double off Oakland Athletics pitcher Dave Stewart at the Oakland Coliseum. One week later in his first at-bat at the Kingdome, Griffey hit his first major league home run.


title: Ken Griffey Jr.

text: Griffey was a frequent participant in the All-Star Game during the 1990s. He led his league multiple times in different hitting categories.


title: Ken Griffey Jr.

text: In 1990 and 1991, Griffey and his father became the first son and father to play on the same team at the same time. In his father's first game as a Mariner, on August 31, 1990, the pair hit back-to-back singles in the first inning and both scored. On September 14, the pair hit back-to-back home runs in the top of the first off California Angels pitcher Kirk McCaskill, becoming the first father-son duo to hit back-to-back home runs. The duo played a total of 51 games together before Griffey Sr. retired in June 1991.


title: Ken Griffey Jr.

text: At the MLB Home Run Derby in 1993, which was held at Oriole Park in Baltimore, Griffey hit the warehouse beyond the right-field wall on the fly and he is still the only player ever to do so. As with every home run that hits Eutaw Street, each feat is honored with a circular plaque, embedded horizontally onto the concourse's walkway, in the exact spot where the ball landed. In 1994, he led the league in voting for All-Star Game selection. That season, which ended prematurely on August 12 due to the labor dispute, saw Griffey hit 30 home runs in the Mariners' first 65 games. He would go on to have four multi-home run games that year. While his pace cooled somewhat in the final eight weeks of the season (he only hit 10 home runs in the Mariners' last 47 games), his 40 home runs by August 12 still put him two ahead of Chicago's Frank Thomas and four ahead of Cleveland's Albert Belle for the AL lead.


title: Ken Griffey Jr.

text: One of the most memorable moments of Griffey's career with the Mariners came during the 1995 American League Division Series (ALDS) against the New York Yankees. After losing the first two games, the Mariners and Griffey were on the verge of elimination, but came back to win the next two games, setting up a decisive fifth game. In the bottom of the 11th inning of Game 5, with Griffey on first base, teammate Edgar Martínez hit a double. Griffey raced around the bases, slid into home with the winning run, and popped up into the waiting arms of the entire team. The 1995 AL Division Series would kick off a brief rivalry between the Yankees and Mariners. Griffey may have escalated it by saying that he would never play for the Yankees, because the Yankees allegedly treated his father, Ken Griffey Sr. badly. Also, when Griffey was a kid visiting his dad in the Yankee clubhouse, Yankee manager Billy Martin would, believing that children did not belong in the clubhouse, kick him out of there. Although the Mariners subsequently lost the ALCS to the Cleveland Indians (managed by later Mariners manager Mike Hargrove), that moment remains one of the most memorable in Mariners history, capping a season that "saved baseball in Seattle", Seattle's improbable late-season playoff run that year, spurred by the return of Griffey from injury, led to the construction of Safeco Field and the future security of a franchise rumored for years to be on the move. The play also inspired the title of the video game "Ken Griffey Jr.'s Winning Run" for the Super NES.


title: Ken Griffey Jr.

text: In 1997, Griffey led the Mariners to the AL West crown and captured the American League Most Valuable Player Award, hitting .304 with 56 home runs and 147 runs batted in during 157 games. The next season, 1998, was a season which was followed closely by the national media as both Griffey and Mark McGwire entered the summer ahead of the pace of Roger Maris' home run record of 61. Despite Griffey falling short, Major League Baseball put forth an effort to draw a new set of young fans and regain those disenchanted by the 1994 strike focused on McGwire, Sosa, and Griffey's pursuit of Maris' record. Griffey, however, fell out of the spotlight due to some nagging injuries and was surpassed by Chicago Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa, who finished with 66 home runs, himself falling short of McGwire's then record 70. Despite falling out of the record chase, Griffey nearly duplicated his 1997 statistics, finishing with a .284 average, 56 home runs and 146 runs batted in during 161 games.


title: Ken Griffey Jr.

text: On April 15, 1997, Griffey wore the number 42, which led to an MLB tradition started in 1999 known as Jackie Robinson Day.


title: Ken Griffey Jr.

text: In 1999, he ranked 93rd on "The Sporting News"' list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players. This list was compiled during the 1998 season, counting only statistics through 1997. At age 29 (going on 30), he was the youngest player on the list. That same year, Griffey was elected to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. However, when "TSN" updated their list for a new book in 2005, despite having surpassed 400 and 500 home runs, Griffey remained at Number 93.


title: Ken Griffey Jr.

text: While playing with Seattle, Griffey was a 10-time American League Gold Glove winner, the 1992 All-Star Game MVP, 1997 AL MVP, 1998 ESPY co-winner for Male Athlete of the Year, 1999 "Players Choice Awards" Player of the Decade (by the players), and was named to the All-Century team in 1999.


title: Ken Griffey Jr.

text: Griffey formerly lived in the same neighborhood in Orlando as golfer Payne Stewart. After Stewart's death in a plane crash on October 25, 1999, Griffey started expressing a desire to live closer to his relatives in his hometown of Cincinnati. Not only did Griffey want to live closer, but he wanted to be able to raise his kids, Trey and Taryn (Tevin was not born at the time). On February 10, 2000, Griffey was traded to the Reds for pitcher Brett Tomko, outfielder Mike Cameron, and minor leaguers Antonio Perez and Jake Meyer. Griffey signed a nine-year, $112.5 million contract with the Reds after the trade was completed, with a club option for a tenth.


title: Ken Griffey Jr.

text: Earlier that offseason, Griffey had vetoed a trade to the New York Mets for Roger Cedeño, Octavio Dotel and a relief pitcher variously reported as Dennis Cook or Armando Benítez. Griffey's agent, Brian Goldberg, said afterward that Griffey would only accept a trade to the Reds and, "[i]f he can't go to Cincinnati, then he's going back to Seattle for the final year of his contract."


title: Ken Griffey Jr.

text: In 2000, Griffey also changed his number from 24 to 30, the number his father wore while playing in both Cincinnati and Seattle; the number 24 was already retired in honor of Tony Pérez. The 2000 season began what has generally been seen by the media as a decline in Griffey's superstar status. Although his statistics during this season were respectable, they were far below his previous level of play: in 145 games, Griffey hit .271 with 40 home runs and 118 runs batted in, but his .942 on-base plus slugging was his lowest mark in five years. Additionally, from 2001 through 2004, Griffey was plagued by a string of injuries, including season-ending injuries in 2002, 2003, and 2004. Worse yet for Griffey, the cumulative effects of the injuries lowered his bat speed, resulting in less power and fewer home runs (he slugged only .426 before succumbing to injury in 2002, his lowest output in seven years). Injuries forced Griffey to miss 260 out of 486 games from 2002 through 2004, diminishing both his skills and his star reputation.


title: Ken Griffey Jr.

text: In 2004, Griffey avoided major injury during the first half of the season, and on June 20 became the 20th player to hit 500 career home runs. His 500th home run came on Father's Day in a game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium, with his father in the stands; the homer tied Griffey with his father in career hits with 2,143. However, the injury bug bit again just before the All-Star break; he suffered a partial hamstring tear, knocking him out of the All-Star Game and putting him on the disabled list yet again.


title: Ken Griffey Jr.

text: Griffey finished the 2004 season on the disabled list after suffering a rupture of his right hamstring in San Francisco. The play in question occurred at AT&T Park in a game against the San Francisco Giants. Griffey was starting in right field for the first time in his 16-year Major League career when he raced toward the gap to try to cut off a ball before it got to the wall. He slid as he got to the ball, but in the process hyper-extended his right leg, tearing the hamstring completely off the bone. He later came out of the game, complaining of "tightness" in the hamstring exacerbated by chilly conditions in San Francisco. However, there was far more to it than anyone realized at the time.


title: Ken Griffey Jr.

text: Shortly after this injury, the Reds' team physician, Timothy Kremchek, devised an experimental surgery dubbed "The Junior Operation" that would use three titanium screws to reattach Griffey's hamstring. For several weeks, Griffey's right leg was in a sling that kept it at a 90-degree angle, and he was not able to move the leg until late October. After an intense rehabilitation period, he returned for the 2005 season. In April, he hit .244 with one homer (on April 30) and 9 runs batted in.


title: Ken Griffey Jr.

text: Starting May 1, the 2005 season saw the resurgence of a healthy Griffey. His 35 home runs were his highest since his first year with the Reds as Griffey slowly moved up the career home run list. He ended the season tied with Mickey Mantle, after having passed Jimmie Foxx, Ted Williams, Willie McCovey, Ernie Banks, Eddie Mathews, Mel Ott, and Eddie Murray.


title: Ken Griffey Jr.

text: Early in September, he strained a tendon in his left foot (an injury unrelated to his past hamstring and calf problems), and was listed as day-to-day for several weeks. On September 22, with the Reds out of playoff contention, Griffey decided to sit out for the rest of the season so he could immediately have arthroscopic surgery on his left knee and a separate operation to repair scars from his 2004 hamstring operation. Still, his 128 games in 2005 were the most he had played since 2000. Griffey's resurgence was recognized when he was named National League Comeback Player of the Year. He played in the World Baseball Classic for the American team that off-season with his father as a coach. Griffey batted .524, but the USA failed to reach the semifinals.


title: Ken Griffey Jr.

text: During the second game of the 2006 regular season, Griffey hit home run #537, surpassing Mickey Mantle for 12th on the all-time list. He returned on May 11 from a knee injury suffered April 12, and hit a walk-off three-run home run in the bottom of the 11th inning against the Washington Nationals. On June 5, Griffey tied Fred McGriff's record by hitting a home run in his 43rd different ballpark, at the St. Louis Cardinals' Busch Stadium. On June 19, Griffey hit career home run #548 against the Mets, tying him with Mike Schmidt, and then six days later passed Schmidt with #549 against the Cleveland Indians. On June 27, he hit his 550th career home run against the Kansas City Royals. On September 25, 2006, Griffey hit his 27th home run of the season against Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Scott Eyre to tie Reggie Jackson for tenth on the all-time home run list.


title: Ken Griffey Jr.

text: Griffey's injuries continued in the 2006 off-season. While on holiday in the Bahamas with his family, he broke his wrist. Griffey said his hand felt fine and he expected to be ready to go for 2007 spring training.


title: Ken Griffey Jr.

text: At the beginning of the 2007 Major League Baseball season, Ryan Freel took over center field for the Reds, and Griffey Jr. was moved to right field. Reds manager Jerry Narron said that "I've got to do everything I can do to put our best club out there. My feeling is that with Ryan Freel out there, it gives us strong defense up the middle." Griffey changed his number from 30 to 3 to honor his three children.


title: Ken Griffey Jr.

text: On May 10, 2007, Griffey hit his sixth home run of the season and the 569th of his career, tying Rafael Palmeiro for ninth place on the career home runs list. He passed Palmeiro on May 13 against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Griffey tied Harmon Killebrew for eighth on the all-time list hitting his 573rd career home run on May 22. He then surpassed him on May 25 against the Pittsburgh Pirates.


title: Ken Griffey Jr.

text: On June 22, 2007, Griffey made his first return to Seattle after his trade to the Reds. Before the game, the Mariners honored him with a 15-minute presentation which included a highlight reel of his playing career with the Mariners, a presentation of a "The House that Griffey Built" memorial by Mariners hall-of-famers and former teammates Jay Buhner and Edgar Martínez, and a four-minute standing ovation from the sold-out crowd. Griffey did not expect such a welcome or a turnout by fans when he came back, and a short but emotional speech was given by Griffey afterwards. Many of the fans in attendance made signs professing their gratitude and adoration toward him with quotes such as: "The House that Griffey Built", "Seattle Junior", and "Griffey we miss you." Griffey went 1-for-5 in the game. On June 24, Griffey hit his 583rd and 584th career home runs, tying and passing Mark McGwire for seventh place on the all-time career home run list.


title: Ken Griffey Jr.

text: Following the Cincinnati Reds versus Seattle Mariners series from June 22–24, 2007, a fan movement emerged petitioning Mariners' management to bring Griffey back. Over 1,900 signatures were collected on a fan vid-blog/petition.


title: Ken Griffey Jr.

text: Griffey received the most votes of any player in the National League for the 2007 All-Star balloting, and in the July 10 game, he went on to drive in two runs for the National League. On July 16, 2007, Griffey hit his 587th home run to pass Frank Robinson for sixth place on the all-time home run list. On July 18, 2007, Griffey hit his 2,500th hit, a first-inning single off Atlanta Braves starting pitcher John Smoltz.


title: Ken Griffey Jr.

text: On September 19, 2007, in a game against the Chicago Cubs, Griffey fielded a Derrek Lee single in right field, then suddenly went down in pain. The injury, first thought to be a lower abdominal strain, was later revealed to be a season-ending groin strain. This marked one of many seasons in Cincinnati in which Griffey had to end the year on the disabled list. Griffey ended the 2007 season with 593 career home runs.


title: Ken Griffey Jr.

text: On August 22, 2007, Griffey was selected as an all-time Rawlings Gold Glove winner, on a list of nine players considered the greatest defensive players in the last 50 years. He finished the season with 78 runs, 146 hits, 24 doubles, one triple, 30 home runs, 93 runs batted in, and a .277 batting average in 144 games.


title: Ken Griffey Jr.

text: On April 4, 2008, Griffey passed Reggie Jackson for 16th on the all-time list after driving in his 1,702nd run. On June 9, Griffey hit his 600th home run on a 3–1 pitch from Mark Hendrickson of the Florida Marlins in the first inning at Land Shark Stadium in Miami. Fans of both teams gave him a standing ovation.


title: Ken Griffey Jr.

text: Despite being ranked second in the National League All-Star voting for outfielders for most of the first half of the season, Griffey finished fourth with 2,907,746 ballots, 87,000 votes behind Kosuke Fukudome. He was not selected to the All-Star Game as a reserve. At the All-Star Break, Griffey was batting .239 with 12 home runs and 42 runs batted in. "I always have a backup plan ... If you can't hit a tough lefty, bunt. If you can't hit a tough righty, bunt. If you can't go to the All-Star Game, go to the Bahamas," Griffey said.


title: Ken Griffey Jr.

text: Griffey was criticized by some for his effort during his stint with the Reds. Gregg Doyel had this to say of the years Griffey was with the Reds in comparison to the 2010 Reds team. "It's a different Reds team than the older, beer-bellied softball teams of recent years. Those Reds were Ken Griffey and Adam Dunn lounging on the clubhouse's leather couches, hitting home runs, misplaying balls in the outfield and thinking they had it all figured out, when all they knew how to do was lose."


title: Ken Griffey Jr.

text: On July 31, 2008, at the MLB trade deadline, Griffey was traded to the Chicago White Sox in exchange for pitcher Nick Masset and infielder Danny Richar, ending his nine-year tenure in Cincinnati. In his first game with the White Sox, he went 2-for-3 with 2 runs batted in, a walk, and a run.


title: Ken Griffey Jr.

text: On August 20, 2008, Griffey hit his first home run as a member of the White Sox, off the Mariners' R. A. Dickey, which moved him into a tie with former outfielder Sammy Sosa for fifth place in career home runs. He surpassed Sosa on September 23, with one off Minnesota's Matt Guerrier.


title: Ken Griffey Jr.

text: Griffey's signature moment with the White Sox came on September 30, the last game of the 2008 season; an extra 163rd game between the White Sox and Minnesota Twins to break the tie atop the AL Central. In the fifth inning of the scoreless game, the Twins threatened with Michael Cuddyer on third and one out. Twins third baseman Brendan Harris flied out softly to Griffey in center field, who threw a strike to White Sox catcher A. J. Pierzynski who tagged out Cuddyer at home in a home plate collision to complete the double play and end the threat. The White Sox went on to beat the Twins, 1–0, to advance to the 2008 American League Division Series, where they fell to the Tampa Bay Rays.


title: Ken Griffey Jr.

text: On October 30, 2008, the White Sox declined a $16 million option on Griffey, making him a free agent for the first time in his career. Griffey would instead receive a buyout for $4 million, split between the Reds and White Sox. Griffey hit .249 with 18 home runs and 71 runs batted in during 143 games with the Reds and White Sox in 2008. When the 2008 season ended he said he wouldn't retire, saying "I've got things to do."


title: Ken Griffey Jr.

text: As a free agent, Griffey was courted by the Mariners and the Atlanta Braves. The national media was dubious about Griffey's ability to contribute meaningfully, with "The Washington Post" noting "... the Mariners are not about to sign Griffey for baseball reasons; they're bringing him back to Seattle to sell tickets." Griffey ultimately accepted a contract offer from the Mariners on February 18, 2009, after "agonizing" over the decision. Griffey indicated he was motivated by sentimental reasons toward Seattle, where he received an overwhelmingly positive reception when he last played there as a Cincinnati Red in June 2007, but was inclined towards the Braves for its proximity to his home in Orlando, Florida, and his desire to be with his family during the season. Apparently, Griffey was very close to signing with the Braves; however, a premature report emerged from "The Atlanta Journal-Constitution" that an Atlanta deal was done and a conversation with Willie Mays and his own 13-year-old daughter played a factor in his choice. Griffey once again sported #24 with the Mariners; the team had not issued the number to any player or coach in the nine years between his two stints in Seattle.


title: Ken Griffey Jr.

text: Griffey went 1-for-3 with a home run in his regular-season debut on April against the Minnesota Twins. The home run was Griffey's eighth Opening Day home run; as of 2013, he is tied with Frank Robinson and Adam Dunn for first place in this category. On April 15, 2009, Griffey hit his 400th home run as a Mariner (613th of career), off Los Angeles Angels pitcher Jered Weaver, becoming the first MLB player to hit 400 home runs with one club (Mariners) and 200 home runs with another (Reds). AP stated, "Griffey returned to the Mariners in 2009 and almost single-handedly transformed what had been a fractured, bickering clubhouse with his leadership, energy and constant pranks."


title: Ken Griffey Jr.

text: On June 23, 2009, at Safeco Field, Griffey hit the 5,000th home run in franchise history, off San Diego Padres pitcher Chad Gaudin. This was Griffey's 619th career home run. On July 1, Griffey hit career home run 621 at the new Yankee Stadium, off Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte in the sixth inning. It marked the 44th different ballpark in which he had hit a home run. On August 12, 2009, against his former team, the Chicago White Sox, he hit a run-scoring single in the bottom of the 14th inning to win the game, 1–0, for the Mariners.


title: Ken Griffey Jr.

text: Griffey returned to the Mariners for the 2010 campaign with a similar one-year contract to that of 2009, but struggled offensively over the first two months while posting a .184 batting average. On April 27, Griffey passed Andre Dawson for 45th on the career hit list. On May 20, 2010, in a game against the Toronto Blue Jays, Griffey hit a run-scoring single off Blue Jays' closer Kevin Gregg to win the game, 4–3, for the Mariners. After starting the ninth inning trailing 3–1, the Mariners rallied in the bottom of the ninth to load the bases on two singles and a walk, then tied the game via a walk and a sacrifice fly. The walk-off single was the final hit and run batted in of Griffey's Major League Baseball career, and moved him past Rafael Palmeiro to 14th on the all-time runs batted in list.


title: Ken Griffey Jr.

text: In May 2010, Mariners' manager Don Wakamatsu made the decision to significantly limit Griffey's playing due to his ongoing poor performance. On May 10, 2010, beat writer Larry Larue reported that Wakamatsu had not used Griffey in a pinch hitting situation the prior week, with two players stating that Griffey had been asleep. National media quickly covered the incident, dubbed "Napgate". In the ensuing days, teammate Mike Sweeney said he challenged anyone who said Griffey was asleep "to stand up and fight me" with Wakamatsu denying Griffey had been asleep; however, Griffey did not deny it. Griffey's agent stated Larue's initial report had been posted in error and that Larue had asked his employer to remove it, both of which they refuted. In the aftermath of his report, Larue was boycotted by players.


title: Ken Griffey Jr.

text: On June 2, 2010, with the clubhouse still in turmoil, Griffey left the Mariners after the second game of a four-game series with the Minnesota Twins, leaving in the middle of the night for a cross-country drive to his home in Florida. He released a statement through the Seattle Mariners organization announcing his retirement effective immediately. Mariners president Chuck Armstrong was only made aware of this by Griffey's agent a few hours before gametime the next day; Griffey then called from the road to confirm it. His retirement was announced at Safeco Field before the Mariners played the Twins. In an interview on March 17, 2011, Griffey stated he had retired to avoid being a distraction for the team.


title: Ken Griffey Jr.

text: On February 17, 2011, Griffey was hired by the Mariners as a special consultant. He is involved with the Mariners at spring training and the regular season, along with visiting most of the Mariners minor-league affiliates.


title: Ken Griffey Jr.

text: On January 22, 2013, the Mariners announced Griffey would be the seventh person inducted into the Seattle Mariners Hall of Fame. Griffey joined Alvin Davis (1997), Dave Niehaus (2000), Jay Buhner (2004), Edgar Martínez (2007), Randy Johnson (2012) and Dan Wilson (2012). He was formally inducted on August 10, 2013. Jamie Moyer was selected in 2015.


title: Ken Griffey Jr.

text: A campaign had been formed to rename a section of First Avenue South, which runs adjacent to T-Mobile Park, to Ken Griffey Jr. Drive just after his announcement to retire from baseball. Later, the campaign changed direction after the death of Mariners announcer Dave Niehaus in November 2010 to Dave Niehaus Way South.


title: Ken Griffey Jr.

text: Writer Bill Simmons pointed out the prevalent belief that Griffey was the best home run hitter of the 1990s who everyone was convinced never used performance enhancing drugs. Therefore, Simmons stated Griffey was the one player who would be the most devastating to "an entire generation of American men" should he ever be linked to steroids.


title: Ken Griffey Jr.

text: On August 9, 2014, Griffey was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame. Griffey returned to Cincinnati for the weekend activities and choked up during his speech when he mentioned wearing the same uniform as his dad. Second baseman Ron Oester, outfielder Dave Parker, and first baseman Jake Beckley joined Griffey in the Class of 2014.


title: Ken Griffey Jr.

text: On October 25, 2021, Griffey joined the Mariners ownership group, become the first former player to hold partnership interest in the Mariners.


title: Ken Griffey Jr.

text: On January 6, 2016, Griffey was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, receiving 99.32 percent of the vote, breaking the record previously held by Tom Seaver's 98.84 percent in 1992. A flag bearing Griffey's number 24 was flown from the Space Needle following the announcement. Griffey is one of three Baseball Hall of Fame inductees who have been chosen first overall in an MLB draft. The other two are Chipper Jones, who was inducted in 2018, and Harold Baines, who was inducted by the Veterans Committee in 2019.


title: Ken Griffey Jr.

text: To coincide with his Hall of Fame election, the Mariners announced on January 8, 2016, that they would retire his jersey number 24. The retirement took effect with the start of the 2016 MLB season, with the formal ceremony taking place prior to the Mariners' August 6, 2016 game. The jersey retirement includes the number 24 also being taken out of circulation of all of the Mariners minor league affiliates.


title: Ken Griffey Jr.

text: The Mariners also honored Griffey in a unique fashion in the 2016 MLB draft, selecting his son Trey in the 24th round (matching his jersey number), even though Trey, at the time a wide receiver at the University of Arizona, had not played baseball since his preteen years.


title: Ken Griffey Jr.

text: In 2008, Griffey released a series of charity wines to support The Ken Griffey Jr. Family Foundation, a fund that supports several causes, including the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and several children's hospitals across the United States. He is also an honorary co-chairman of the AOPA Foundation's Hat in the Ring Society, a charitable organization that promotes aviation safety and education.


title: Ken Griffey Jr.

text: In April 2007, Griffey was diagnosed with pleurisy, an inflammation of the lining of the cavity surrounding the lungs which can cause painful respiration and other symptoms.


title: Ken Griffey Jr.

text: Griffey and his wife Melissa have three children: Ken Griffey III (Trey), daughter Taryn Kennedy, and adopted son Tevin Kendall. Trey was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) (2017–2019). Taryn attended the University of Arizona and played for the women's basketball team.


title: Ken Griffey Jr.

text: Griffey was named an American Public Diplomacy Envoy by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on November 18, 2008.


title: Ken Griffey Jr.

text: The video game "MLB The Show 17" includes Griffey as the cover athlete for the American version of the game.


title: Ken Griffey Jr.

text: In January 1988, Griffey attempted suicide by swallowing 277 aspirin pills but wound up in intensive care at Providence Hospital in Mount Airy, Ohio. Griffey Jr. cited arguments with his father, Ken Griffey Sr., depression, and anger as reasons for his attempted suicide. On his failed attempt, Griffey Jr. stated, "It seemed like everyone was yelling at me in baseball, then I came home and everyone was yelling at me there. I got depressed. I got angry. I didn't want to live." He stated that he had also previously contemplated taking his own life, but he had not acted on it until this incident. After Griffey swallowed the aspirin, his girlfriend's mother drove him to the hospital. While in intensive care, he ripped the IV from his arm in order to stop an argument between him and his father. Both Griffey Jr. and his father stated that the incident changed their relationship, and since then, there has been better understanding for both of them.


title: Xabi Alonso

text: Xabier Alonso Olano (, ; born 25 November 1981) is a Spanish football coach and former professional player who is currently the head coach of Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen.


title: Xabi Alonso

text: Alonso began his career at Real Sociedad, the main team of his home province Gipuzkoa. After a brief loan period at Eibar, he was appointed as team captain of Real Sociedad by then-manager John Toshack. He succeeded in the role, taking the club to second place in the 2002–03 season. He moved to Liverpool in August 2004 for £10.5 million and won the UEFA Champions League in his first season, under manager Rafael Benítez, scoring the equalising goal in the Final against Milan. The following season, he won the FA Cup and the FA Community Shield.


title: Xabi Alonso

text: He moved to Real Madrid for the start of the 2009–10 season in a deal worth around £30 million. After winning honours including a league title in 2012 and the Champions League in 2014 during five seasons in Madrid, he was signed by German club Bayern Munich on a two-year contract. This was extended by a further year, and he eventually retired from playing in summer 2017, aged 35, having won the Bundesliga in each of his three seasons with Bayern.


title: Xabi Alonso

text: He made his international debut for Spain in April 2003 in a 4–0 victory against Ecuador. While playing for Spain, Alonso won Euro 2008, Euro 2012 and the 2010 World Cup, and he also represented his country at Euro 2004 and the 2006 World Cup. On 23 June 2012, Alonso won his 100th cap for Spain in the quarter-final of Euro 2012 against France; he celebrated the occasion by scoring both of Spain's goals to send them into the semi-finals. Following Spain's failure to progress out of the group stages at the 2014 World Cup, Alonso retired from international football on 27 August 2014. His 114 caps make him the eighth-most capped player in the nation's history.


title: Xabi Alonso

text: Alonso was born in the small town of Tolosa, Gipuzkoa, Basque Country, into a family known for its footballing prowess. His father, Periko Alonso, won La Liga twice in successive seasons with Real Sociedad and a third time after he joined Barcelona. He also featured in the national team, winning 21 caps over the course of his career. Xabi Alonso lived in the city of Barcelona for the first six years of his life and moved to San Sebastián (Donostia) thereafter. It was here that his passion for football began as he whiled away his childhood playing at Playa de la Concha (Shell Beach). On the Basque sands, Alonso befriended a fellow resident of Calle Matia, Mikel Arteta, and the two would battle each other in exhibitions of technical ability. He was immersed in football and his father would often bring him and his older brother, Mikel, to CE Sabadell's training ground to practice together. Alonso was influenced by his father's playing, taking more pleasure in passing the ball well than shooting at goal. At an early age, he decided to play as a defensive midfielder, a role which helped him learn how to distribute the ball well. This talent would later prove to be an integral part of his club and international career.


title: Xabi Alonso

text: At age 15, Alonso went to the Irish town of Kells, County Meath, on a school exchange programme to learn English.


title: Xabi Alonso

text: Alonso and Arteta were ambitious and dreamed of playing alongside each other for Real Sociedad when they were older. Though they attended different schools, the two young players joined forces at the local youth side Antiguoko, playing games at the weekend. Their performances attracted the attention of scouts from top Spanish sides and the young "Donostiarras" separated ways, ending nine years of friendly rivalry, as Alonso went to Real Sociedad and Arteta moved to Catalan giants Barcelona. Alonso's move to Real Sociedad, however, was not a companionless one, as his older brother Mikel, who had also become an adept player, joined the club together with him.


title: Xabi Alonso

text: Alonso quickly progressed through the youth ranks and the reserve team at Real Sociedad (winning the regionalised fourth tier in his single season with the latter) and impressed enough to earn a first team debut at the age of 18. He made his first senior appearance against Logroñés in December 1999 in a Copa del Rey match. Alonso failed to make another appearance in the season but the following year brought more opportunities. At the beginning of the 2000–01 season, Javier Clemente sent him to Segunda División team Eibar to gain experience. Alonso's father particularly felt the move to the smaller club improved him as a player. A quick turnover of managers, however, including a two-month period with Periko Alonso in charge, left Real Sociedad in a dire situation. By January 2001, Real Sociedad were bottom of the league and its new manager, John Toshack, turned to the prodigious Alonso in the hope of reversing the team's fortunes. In a surprise move, the Welsh manager made the 20-year-old the team captain, a position traditionally held by more senior players. By the end of the season, Sociedad had climbed out of the relegation zone and finished in 14th place. Toshack lauded Alonso, noting that the impression he had on the team was exceptional, especially for a player from the youth team.


title: Xabi Alonso

text: Under the tutelage of John Toshack, Alonso's captaincy marked a resurgence of form for Real Sociedad. Toshack recognised Alonso's potential and invested much time in his young captain, creating a training method designed to improve his touch and control specifically for him. The team cemented its mid-table position in the 2001–02, finishing in 13th place. Alonso appeared consistently in La Liga with 30 appearances over the course of the season and also scored his first league goal, finishing with a season total of three. Real Sociedad's management changed again in the summer of 2002 with the arrival of Raynald Denoueix, but Alonso kept his place in the first team on the strength of his past performances.


title: Xabi Alonso

text: The 2002–03 season was the club's best league performance since the 1981–82 season, in which they won the league. The Basque team finished second, two points behind Real Madrid, setting a club record for their highest ever points total, and qualifying for the UEFA Champions League for the first time. Alonso received much praise for his role in the team's success and was given the Best Spanish Player award by Spanish sports magazine "Don Balón". In addition, Alonso significantly contributed to the team's goal tally, scoring 12 goals in all competitions. His performances earned Alonso national repute and Iñaki Sáez, the coach of the Spanish national team, called him up for "La Selección". Alonso made his international debut in April 2003 in a 4–0 friendly win over Ecuador. Sáez raved over Alonso, saying, "He has a fantastic range of accurate passing [and] sees football with an extraordinary clarity."


title: Xabi Alonso

text: The 2003–04 season comprised mixed results for Alonso and his San Sebastián club. Alonso revelled in the opportunity to perform in Europe, appearing in all the team's games, and Real Sociedad qualified for the knockout phase of the Champions League. The team struggled under the pressure of the extra matches, however, and were promptly knocked out of the tournament by Lyon and finished 15th in La Liga. The combination of Alonso's outstanding performances and the team's poor league finish made a move away from Anoeta Stadium inevitable. Despite interest from La Liga champions Real Madrid, Alonso remained committed to Real Sociedad. Madrid failed to meet the £13 million price tag that José Luis Astiazarán, the Real Sociedad president, had placed on Alonso and the deal reached a stalemate. Alonso had other concerns and focused on international duty with Spain at UEFA Euro 2004. Despite the fact that Alonso's appearance at the tournament was brief, he caught the attention of retired footballer Jan Mølby, who was impressed with his precise passing abilities.


title: Xabi Alonso

text: The summer transfer window at Real Sociedad saw the arrival of Alonso's childhood friend Mikel Arteta. Arteta was ecstatic at the prospect of partnering Alonso in midfield, but his excitement was short-lived. Alonso was not picked for Real Sociedad's pre-season friendlies, signalling that an offer by Liverpool was being treated seriously. The Basque side announced on 20 August 2004 that they had made a deal worth £10.7 million with Liverpool and Alonso had agreed terms with the Merseyside team. Alonso did not lament the fact that a move to Real Madrid had not materialised. Instead, he concentrated on integrating with the new Spanish contingent at Liverpool under the guidance of former Valencia manager Rafael Benítez.


title: Xabi Alonso

text: Alonso arrived at Liverpool along with Luis García from Barcelona, marking the beginning of a new era at Anfield. New Liverpool manager Rafael Benítez sought to revolutionise the club and completely overhauled the squad, impressing his own management style and tactics upon the team. The technical Spaniards were Benítez's first signings and he remarked that their emphasis of skill over strength offered the team something different. Alonso made his Premier League debut for the Merseysiders against Bolton Wanderers at the Reebok Stadium on 29 August 2004. Liverpool lost the fixture 1–0 but Alonso was already receiving praise for his passing skills from the press. A Premier League tie away against Fulham displayed more of Alonso's talents. Liverpool were losing 2–0 at half-time and Benítez brought on Alonso as a substitute after the break. He revived a deflated Liverpool and the game finished 2–4 to the Merseyside team. Furthermore, Alonso scored his first goal for the team from a free kick to bring Liverpool ahead of the opposition.


title: Xabi Alonso

text: Alonso continued to provide important goals for the club, scoring his first goal at Anfield against Arsenal in a 2–1 victory. Alonso was elated at the achievement and felt he was settling in well in England. The Arsenal game marked the return of Steven Gerrard from injury but Alonso's midfield partnership with the team captain came to a halt when Alonso suffered his first setback at Liverpool. Alonso's ankle was broken following a tackle from Frank Lampard in Liverpool's 0–1 home defeat against Chelsea on New Year's Day 2005 and the Spaniard was ruled out of action for three months.


title: Xabi Alonso

text: Alonso made his return to the first team in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-final against Juventus. Alonso was not at full fitness but, as Steven Gerrard was injured, he played for the full 90 minutes and Liverpool held the score at 0–0 in Italy, defeating the eventual Italian champions on aggregate. Kevin McCarra of "The Guardian" paid testament to Alonso's skill and dedication to the game, saying, "This marvellously accomplished footballer testified in the Stadio delle Alpi that technique can overcome a serious physical disadvantage." In the next round against Chelsea, Alonso received a yellow card in a tense and scrappy 0–0 draw at Stamford Bridge, making him suspended for the following fixture. Alonso was distraught that he would miss the game and vehemently contested the referee's decision to no avail. Gerrard returned from injury for the second leg, however, and the captain steered his team to a 1–0 win with the help of a Luis García goal, qualifying for the final against Milan.


title: Xabi Alonso

text: Liverpool's fifth-place finish in the Premiership left much to be desired but debut season glory still awaited Alonso in the form of the Champions League final. The team fell three goals behind Milan but completed a dramatic second-half comeback. Liverpool, trailing 3–2, were awarded a penalty and it was decided that Alonso would take the spot kick. While Dida, Milan's acclaimed Brazilian goalkeeper, managed to save the penalty Alonso fired the rebound into the roof of the net, bringing the score to 3–3. Extra time passed without a goal from either team and Liverpool won 3–2 in the penalty shootout. Alonso was praised for his pivotal influence on the team's comeback and manager Benítez reinforced his importance to the team. Alonso was ecstatic with the win, commenting, "This is the best moment in my professional career." The epic night was also recalled to be the 'Miracle of Istanbul'.


title: Xabi Alonso

text: Alonso was ever-present in the first team in the 2005–06 season, largely avoiding injuries that had marred his first season at the club. The summer transfer window brought Peter Crouch to Liverpool and the striker's height sparked accusations that the team would change to long ball tactics. Crouch denied this, highlighting that Alonso's passing ability, alongside Gerrard, would define Liverpool's style of play. Alonso faced more competition for his place in the form of new arrival Mohamed Sissoko. However, Steven Gerrard's injuries and Rafael Benítez's favouring of a 4–5–1 formation ensured Alonso's place in the team. Alonso appeared in all of Liverpool's games in the Champions League but the dominance shown in the previous season had gone as the team lost to Benfica in the knockout stage.


title: Xabi Alonso

text: On 7 January 2006, in an FA Cup third-round tie against Luton Town, Alonso assisted Liverpool to a 5–3 comeback victory after being down 3–1 early in the second half. Alonso scored two impressive goals from distance: one from 45 yards, and the other 65 yards from goal; behind the half-way line. Consequently, Alonso's goals marked a stroke of luck for a Liverpool fan who won £25,000 from a £200 bet on Alonso scoring from within his own half. Alonso suffered an ankle injury in a 1–3 away victory over Portsmouth, putting his participation in the FA Cup final in doubt. However, he recovered sufficiently to start the game against West Ham United and Gerrard scored Liverpool's third goal from Alonso's free kick, pulling the team ahead of the opposition. Alonso, still affected by the injury, could not manage the entire 90 minutes and was substituted in the second half. Liverpool won on penalties without his help but Alonso still earned his first FA Cup winners' medal.


title: Xabi Alonso

text: On 20 September 2006, Alonso scored what the BBC described as "an outrageous strike" from his own half in a 2–0 Premiership win against Newcastle United. Andy Hunter of "The Independent" described it as "one of the most audacious goals in Anfield's rich 115-year history". Alonso rebutted claims that his 70-yard goal was all down to luck and stated that he took long range shots as part of his training routine. Despite the similarity of the goals struck from inside his own half, Alonso was in no doubt which was his best. He said, "I think this was better. The Luton goal bounced a few times, this one went quite straight. The Luton one was left-footed – it was different – but I am quite happy to score the goal." It was his first goal for Liverpool since the goal against Luton, making distinct history as the only outfield player in modern professional football history to score two consecutive goals from inside his own half of the pitch.


title: Xabi Alonso

text: On 8 June 2007, Alonso signed a five-year contract, stating, "I knew there was interest from other clubs but it was always my idea to stay here. I have been here for three seasons now and have such special feelings for the club and the supporters. I understand what Liverpool means to so many people. It is such a special club and I just didn't want to leave." The 2007–08 season started well for the Spaniard: Gerrard's absence led to Alonso playing in a more advanced position and he scored twice in a 6–0 rout against Premier League newcomers Derby County. The bright beginning was short-lived, however, as a minor injury sustained in a game against Portsmouth became aggravated in training. The metatarsal injury forced him out of training for six weeks but his return to the first team was rushed and his injury recurred in his first game back. Alonso's determination and passion proved to be his downfall, and he later reflected, "I had been feeling a bit tired around that time because it was only my first game back and the match was very fast. But as a player you don't want to come off, particularly when the team is winning and I stayed on."


title: Xabi Alonso

text: Alonso returned from injury at December 2007, but over the following months he increasingly faced competition for a place in midfield from Javier Mascherano and Lucas. His role in Liverpool's five-man midfield role was assured, however, as Rafael Benítez regarded him as "a top class player", stating that Alonso had the ability to change games and break down the opposition's defence. Alonso made his 100th league appearance for Liverpool on 12 January 2008 against Middlesbrough.


title: Xabi Alonso

text: The 2008 summer transfer window suggested a move away from Merseyside, as Liverpool pursued England international Gareth Barry to replace Alonso. By the start of the 2008–09 season, neither Alonso or Barry had moved club but the drawn-out transfer saga had left the Spaniard feeling unsettled at Liverpool and unsure of his position in the team. However, the club's fans did much to restore his spirits, supporting him on and off the pitch, and Alonso responded to this, saying:


title: Xabi Alonso

text: Despite the events of the summer, Alonso made a confident start to the season and both his peers and the press praised his strength of character, citing his influence as a factor in the team's strong opening to the season. Alonso's importance to the team was further underlined when he scored the only goal, through a deflection, in a 0–1 victory against Chelsea, making Liverpool the first away team to win at Stamford Bridge in over four years. Statistical analysis reflected Alonso's good form: on 11 December, figures from Opta Sports revealed that he was the first Premier League player to complete 1,000 successful passes in the season. His last goal for Liverpool came in their 1–3 away win at Hull City on 25 April, striking after his free kick deflected off the Hull wall.


title: Xabi Alonso

text: Alonso completed his £30 million move to Real Madrid on 5 August 2009. It has been suggested that he never wanted to leave the Anfield side, with his contract existing until at least 2012, and that his departure was due to differences with Benítez. Former teammate Steven Gerrard said he was "devastated" by Alonso's decision, and cited his departure as one of the reasons behind Liverpool's poor run of form at the start of the following season.


title: Xabi Alonso

text: Alonso was given the number 22 jersey in Madrid and played in a holding midfield position. He scored his first goal for his new team on 21 February 2010, a penalty against Villarreal in a 6–2 win. Unless he was injured or suspended, Manuel Pellegrini started Alonso in every match of the Champions League and in La Liga in his first season at Real Madrid. In La Liga, he helped the club finish with a club-record 96 points, three points behind winners Barcelona. It was the third time in Alonso's career that he helped his team set a new club record in terms of points gathered, while finishing in second position (he achieved the same feat with Real Sociedad in 2002–03 and with Liverpool in 2008–09). During his first season at Real Madrid, Alonso scored three goals and was considered one of the club's "most consistent" players. Readers of "Marca" made him part of its "La Liga" team of the season, as their choice defensive midfielder; the only other Real Madrid player featured was Cristiano Ronaldo. Alonso received the same accolade from ESPN Soccernet. He was also a nominee in the LFP Awards, awards given out by the Liga de Fútbol Profesional, the Spanish Football league. Alonso was nominated in the Best Midfielder category, alongside Xavi and Javi Martínez. Several members of the Spanish press, as well as a number of Real Madrid supporters, gave Alonso a new nickname during the season: "La Barba Roja" ("The Red Beard").


title: Xabi Alonso

text: Alonso's second season at Real Madrid started with the arrival of a new manager, José Mourinho. He was given the number 14 jersey after the departure of vice-captain Guti. He did not score any goals that whole season but was vital. While he believed that Real Madrid would win the league, the club only managed to win the Copa del Rey.


title: Xabi Alonso

text: Alonso began his third season at Madrid by scoring the second goal in a 2–2 draw against Barcelona in the 2011 Supercopa de España at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. On 21 September 2011, he played his 100th official game for Real Madrid in the 0–0 draw against Racing de Santander. Alonso continued to be an undisputed force in the starting XI and ultimately claimed the first league title of his career.


title: Xabi Alonso

text: On 8 January 2014, Alonso signed a contract extension with Real Madrid, which would have kept him at the club until 2016.


title: Xabi Alonso

text: On 29 April 2014, Real Madrid defeated Bayern Munich 4–0 in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final to qualify for the final on a 5–0 aggregate win. Alonso received a yellow card after a sliding tackle on Bastian Schweinsteiger in the first half; as he already had two before the match, this ruled him out of the final. He claimed his second Champions League winners medal as Real defeated Atlético Madrid 4–1 in extra time.


title: Xabi Alonso

text: On 29 August 2014, Alonso moved to Bayern Munich on a two-year deal for an undisclosed fee. He made his debut the following day, starting in a 1–1 draw at Schalke 04. On 27 September 2014, in the match against 1. FC Köln, Alonso broke the record for most passes completed in a Bundesliga game, with 196. He scored his first goal for the club on 18 October 2014, a free kick in a 6–0 win over Werder Bremen.


title: Xabi Alonso

text: On 17 February 2015, in his 100th Champions League appearance, Alonso was sent-off for a second bookable offense in a 0–0 draw against Shakhtar Donetsk. Alonso was suspended for the return leg of the fixture, which Bayern won 7–0. Alonso would go on to record his fourth goal, another free kick, against Porto in the Champions League quarter-final. Bayern would go on to win 6–1, advancing to the semi-finals for a fourth-straight season on aggregate, 7–4.


title: Xabi Alonso

text: On 28 April 2015, Alonso was one of four Bayern players, all FIFA World Cup winners, to miss in a 2–0 penalty shootout defeat to Borussia Dortmund in the DFB-Pokal semi-final. He was also the only player to miss as the club lost the shootout at the end of the 2015 DFL-Supercup away to VfL Wolfsburg, his attempt being saved by goalkeeper Koen Casteels.


title: Xabi Alonso

text: On 18 December 2015, Alonso signed a new contract with Bayern, keeping him at the club until 2017. On 9 March 2017, Alonso confirmed via Twitter his retirement from the game at the end of the 2016–17 season.


title: Xabi Alonso

text: On 20 May 2017, Alonso and teammate, Bayern captain Philipp Lahm played their final professional game, in a 4–1 victory at home to Freiburg in which he assisted the opening goal for Arjen Robben. He was substituted off in the 82nd minute for Franck Ribéry. It was his 79th match in the German top-flight.


title: Xabi Alonso

text: Alonso was a substitute in Spain's 1–0 victory against Russia and played a full 90 minutes against Portugal. Spain were eliminated in the group stage.


title: Xabi Alonso

text: Alonso was named in the Spanish squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup and he scored Spain's first goal of the tournament, his first international goal, against Ukraine on 14 June 2006. Despite a successful group phase, where Spain won all their games, Alonso did not achieve international glory as the team were beaten by the eventual finalists France in the first knockout stage of the tournament.


title: Xabi Alonso

text: Liverpool's 2007–08 season finished trophyless but the opportunity to win honours awaited Alonso in the form of the Euro 2008 tournament. Alonso featured mainly as a substitute but, with key players resting, he captained Spain in the final group game against Greece, earning the man of the match award. Despite a strong performance, he could not attain a starting position in the team, highlighting Spain's strength in depth. Spain went on to win the tournament and he featured in four of Spain's six matches. Speaking to Spanish journalist Guillem Balagué, he said that Spain's victory was deserved and the players' teamwork had been crucial to the team's undefeated run in the tournament. The Basque was ecstatic at the achievement, declaring, "Right now, we're all just living the moment. It's incredible and we're all walking around in a dream. It's fantastic." Alonso's international success continued as he scored twice in a 3–0 win in a friendly against Denmark in August.


title: Xabi Alonso

text: After Spain were surprisingly eliminated from the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup by a defeat to the United States, Alonso and Spain faced South Africa in the third-place match. After 90 minutes, the game was deadlocked at 2–2, so extra time was added, where Alonso scored a free-kick in to the bottom corner of the goal to help Spain win third.


title: Xabi Alonso

text: Alonso started every game for Spain during the 2010 tournament, playing alongside Sergio Busquets and Xavi in midfield and helping his side to lift their first-ever World Cup trophy. In the 28th minute of the final against the Netherlands, he received a "Kung fu-style" kick to the chest from Dutch midfielder Nigel de Jong, the foul was controversial since it appeared to be a foul worthy of a straight red, but was only ruled out to be a yellow card given by referee Howard Webb. This left Alonso in pain and in fear of a broken rib. Despite this pain, he continued playing on for another hour.


title: Xabi Alonso

text: On 23 June 2012, Alonso played his 100th match for Spain in the quarter-finals against France in which he scored both goals in a 2–0 victory. The first goal came after he headed a cross from the left flank delivered by Jordi Alba, while the second one came from a penalty kick given after Pedro was fouled by Anthony Réveillère in the dying seconds of the match. Alonso's penalty in the semi-final shoot-out against Portugal was saved by Rui Patrício in which Spain went on to win 4–2 after a 0–0 draw in the game itself. Spain went on to beat Gianluigi Buffon and Italy 4–0 in the finals; this was Alonso's third major title win with Spain.


title: Xabi Alonso

text: Spain were again amongst the favourites for cup victory in the 2014 FIFA World Cup, but had a very disappointing campaign that ended in the first round. Alonso scored a penalty in the 27th minute of their first match against the Netherlands, though he was substituted in the 62nd minute with Spain down 2–1. The match ultimately ended with a resounding 5–1 win for the Netherlands. Spain then suffered another defeat, this time falling 2–0 to Chile. In that match, Alonso received a yellow card in the first half and was substituted at half-time with the score already at 2–0. Spain were then eliminated from the tournament but did win their final match 3–0 against Australia and finished third in the group; Alonso played 83 minutes in the match.


title: Xabi Alonso

text: Alonso made his debut for the Basque Country national team in a friendly against Ghana on 29 December 2001 and received regular call ups since, while – due to his busy club schedule – not always being able to appear. Most recently, Alonso appeared for Basque on 29 December 2012 in a 6–1 victory over Bolivia.


title: Xabi Alonso

text: A complete, consistent, hardworking and versatile midfielder, Alonso is regarded as one of the best midfielders of his generation, and was effective both creatively and defensively. Gifted with good technique, excellent vision, and varied passing range, he excelled in the centre in a deep-lying playmaking role, where he utilized his accurate long passing ability to create goal scoring chances for teammates; he also utilized a powerful and accurate shot from distance, and he was an effective set-piece and penalty kick taker. Due to his height, positioning, and physical characteristics, Xabi Alonso was also effective in the air, often contributing with headed goals from set pieces when he advanced into more offensive positions. In addition to his creative attributes, he was also capable of excelling as a defensive midfielder due to his strength and powerful physique, combined with his tenacity, tactical intelligence, aggressive tackling and his ability to read the game. He was at times criticised, however, for occasionally committing rash challenges and for his tendency to lose his composure and pick up unnecessary cards for particularly hard fouls. Regarding Alonso's playing style, Jonathan Wilson noted in a 2013 article for "The Guardian" that he was an example of a more creative interpreter of the holding midfield role, who, "although capable of making tackles, focused on keeping the ball moving, occasionally raking long passes out to the flanks to change the angle of attack like an old-style regista." His role has also been likened to that of a "metodista" ("centre-half," in Italian football jargon), due to his ability to dictate play in midfield as well as assist his team defensively. Since retiring, Steven Gerrard has claimed that he believes Alonso was the best midfielder he has ever played alongside. Moreover, in 2017, his former Bayern Munich manager Pep Guardiola, to whom he has occasionally been compared due to their similar role and playing style, described Alonso as one of the best midfielders he had ever seen in his life.


title: Xabi Alonso

text: In 2018, whilst completing his UEFA Elite coaching course alongside former teammates Raúl, Xavi, Víctor Valdés, and Joan Capdevila, Alonso returned to Real Madrid where he assumed a role coaching the Real Madrid U14s.


title: Xabi Alonso

text: Alonso was appointed manager of Segunda División B club Real Sociedad B on 1 June 2019, and began the role on 9 July 2019. In March 2021, despite being heavily linked to the soon-to-be vacant manager role at Borussia Mönchengladbach, Alonso signed a one-year extension with the club.


title: Xabi Alonso

text: In Alonso's second season at "Sanse", the club won promotion to the Segunda División, following a play-off win against Algeciras on 22 May 2021. The win signified Real Sociedad B's first season back in the Segunda División since 1961–62.


title: Xabi Alonso

text: On 25 May 2022, Real Sociedad announced that Alonso would leave "Sanse" at the end of the season, with the side already relegated from the second level.


title: Xabi Alonso

text: Alonso was regarded as a quiet and friendly person by his former teammates at Liverpool. He is married to Nagore Aranburu and the couple have three children: Jontxu, Ane and Emma. Alonso stayed in Merseyside to be at her side while she gave birth, later saying, "It was a little frustrating to miss the match against Inter but I have to be with my family at times like these." His decision to place his family ahead of a Champions League tie caused much friction with former manager Rafael Benítez. On 30 March 2010, they had their second child, a girl named Ane Alonso Aranburu. Their third child and second daughter, Emma Alonso Aranburu, was born on 2 December 2013.


title: Xabi Alonso

text: Alonso and former Everton player Mikel Arteta were neighbours on the same street while growing up in San Sebastián and also lived near each other in Liverpool. Alonso convinced Arteta to transfer to Everton after he told him how happy he was living in Liverpool. Alonso also helped persuade former Real Sociedad teammate Juan Ugarte to make a move to Wales by joining Wrexham in 2004.


title: Xabi Alonso

text: Alonso's brother Mikel played for Spanish club Real Unión. He previously spent a season on loan at Bolton Wanderers in the 2007–08 season with an option for a permanent deal. However, the team opted not to extend the loan deal and he returned to Spain to train with Xabi Alonso's former club, Real Sociedad. Alonso also has another brother involved in football, Jon, who works as a referee.


title: Xabi Alonso

text: Alonso is a Meath Gaelic football supporter. His interest in the Irish sport stems from the age of 15 when he went to the Irish town of Kells, County Meath, and stayed with a family to learn English, where he played it in his spare time.


title: Xabi Alonso

text: Even while playing at Real Madrid, Alonso has declared himself a Liverpool supporter and returns to watch games at Anfield when his schedule allows. He was quoted in "The Times Online" in 2011 as saying, "I am still a Liverpool fan and will be forever, absolutely" and that he will raise his Liverpool-born son as a Red supporter.


title: Xabi Alonso

text: In 2009, Xabi Alonso criticised then-Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Gordon Brown's economic policy, in particular the devalued pound sterling and the 50% tax rate, warning that it has weakened English football and could drive top players away from the UK.


title: Alex Kingston

text: Alexandra Elizabeth Kingston (born 11 March 1963) is an English actress. Active from the early 1980s, Kingston became noted for her television work in both Britain and the US in the 1990s, including her regular role as Dr. Elizabeth Corday in the NBC medical drama "ER" (1997–2004) and her title role in the ITV miniseries "The Fortunes and Misfortunes of Moll Flanders" (1996), which earned her a BAFTA nomination for Best Actress.


title: Alex Kingston

text: Kingston's later credits include the recurring role of River Song in the BBC science fiction series "Doctor Who" (2008–2015), Mrs. Bennet in the ITV period-drama fantasy "Lost in Austen" (2008), Dinah Lance in The CW's superhero fiction drama series "Arrow" (2013–2016), and Sarah Bishop in "A Discovery of Witches" (2018–2022).


title: Alex Kingston

text: Kingston was born and brought up in Epsom, Surrey, to Anthony Kingston, an English butcher and his German wife, Margarethe (née Renneisen). Kingston's paternal great-great-grandmother was Jewish, an ancestry Kingston explored on the series "Who Do You Think You Are?" Kingston's uncle, her mother's younger brother, is actor Walter Renneisen. Her younger sisters are Susie, who is mentally and physically disabled as a result of being deprived of oxygen at birth, and Nicola, a former actress who appeared in the 1996 British TV production of "The Fortunes and Misfortunes of Moll Flanders", in which Kingston starred.


title: Alex Kingston

text: Kingston was inspired to pursue acting by one of her teachers at Rosebery School for Girls. Kingston auditioned and performed in the Surrey County Youth Theatre production of "Tom Jones" as Mrs Fitzpatrick, alongside Sean Pertwee as Captain Fitzpatrick and Thwackum played by Tom Davison. She later completed a three-year programme at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and went on to join the Royal Shakespeare Company.


title: Alex Kingston

text: In 1980, Kingston made her television debut in three episodes of the children's soap opera "Grange Hill", while also appearing as an uncredited extra in the film "The Wildcats of St Trinian's". From the mid-eighties to the mid-nineties, she performed on stage in twenty different theatrical productions, working extensively with the Birmingham Repertory Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company. Her classic Shakespearean roles included Calpurnia in "Julius Caesar" (1987), Cordelia in "King Lear" (1990), Hero in "Much Ado About Nothing" (1990–1991), Titania in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" (1992) and Desdemona in "Othello" (1993).


title: Alex Kingston

text: Around the same time, she could be seen playing small parts in television shows like "A Killing on the Exchange" (1987), "Hannay" (1989), "Covington Cross" (1992), "Soldier Soldier" (1993) and "Crocodile Shoes" (1994), and also had various guest roles in ITV's long-running police procedural "The Bill" (1988–1995). In film, she appeared in "The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover" (1989) with Helen Mirren, "The Infiltrator" (1995) with Oliver Platt and "Carrington" (1995) with Emma Thompson, where she played writer Frances Partridge.


title: Alex Kingston

text: In April 1996, she got her first regular television role as customs officer Katherine Roberts in the ITV crime drama "The Knock", appearing in all thirteen episodes of the second series. In December, she played the lead role opposite Daniel Craig in "The Fortunes and Misfortunes of Moll Flanders", an ITV adaptation of Daniel Defoe's novel "Moll Flanders". She received a nomination for Best Actress for her performance at the following year's British Academy Television Awards.In September 1997, Kingston gained North American television fame after being cast as a main character in the long-running medical drama "ER". She made her first appearance as British surgeon Elizabeth Corday in the premiere of the fourth season, the Emmy Award-winning live episode "Ambush". Having appeared in the show for just over seven seasons, she left it in October 2004, in the eleventh-season episode "Fear", after her contract was not renewed. Being 41 at the time, she criticised the move as ageism, stating that "apparently, I, according to the producers and the writers, am part of the old fogies who are no longer interesting." Despite that, she said that she was "very proud of the work [she had] done over the past eight years" and "grateful for the professional associations and friendships [she had] made through "ER"".


title: Alex Kingston

text: The "ER" role helped propel Kingston's career to new heights, which led to a number of big-screen appearances in films like the Clive Owen neo-noir drama "Croupier" (1998) and independent period drama "Sweet Land" (2005), as well as the crime dramas "Essex Boys" (2000) and "Alpha Dog" (2006). In 2003, she battled Romans as the warrior queen of Britain in ITV's biopic "Boudica", which was also released in the USA on PBS under the title "Warrior Queen" and marked the screen debut of Emily Blunt.


title: Alex Kingston

text: In November 2005, Kingston guest starred as a vacationer whose husband gets kidnapped by a Mexican street gang in an episode of the CBS crime drama "Without a Trace", titled "Viuda Negra" and directed by her former "ER" co-star Paul McCrane. The following year, she returned to the stage after ten years in the West End production of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest", starring as Nurse Ratched opposite Christian Slater as Randle McMurphy. She then revealed that she auditioned for the role of Lynette Scavo on ABC's "Desperate Housewives" but was turned away for being too curvy.


title: Alex Kingston

text: In 2008, Kingston guest starred as Professor River Song in the fourth series of the BBC's long-running science fiction television series "Doctor Who", in the two-part story "Silence in the Library" / "Forest of the Dead", starring David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor. She thought it was simply a one-off guest role but was delighted to find out that she would be a returning character after the story's writer, Steven Moffat, succeeded Russell T Davies as the "Doctor Who" showrunner. She reprised the role in thirteen episodes between 2010 and 2015, appearing on screen opposite two more incarnations of the Doctor played by Matt Smith and Peter Capaldi. Kingston has also portrayed the role in a number of audio dramas from Big Finish Productions, including her solo series "The Diary of River Song" (2015–present).


title: Alex Kingston

text: In September 2008, Kingston took the part of Mrs. Bennet in ITV's acclaimed four-part drama "Lost in Austen", based on Jane Austen's novel "Pride and Prejudice". In October, she appeared in the episode "" of the police procedural drama "" as psychiatrist and grief counsellor Patricia Alwick, who helped the team cope with the recent death of one of their members.


title: Alex Kingston

text: In both 2009 and 2010, Kingston had recurring roles as MI6 agent Fiona Banks in the ABC science fiction drama "FlashForward" and defence attorney Miranda Pond in the NBC legal drama "", in which she reunited with her former "ER" castmates, Mariska Hargitay and Maria Bello. In spring 2009, Kingston returned to "ER" itself during its fifteenth and final season for two episodes, "Dream Runner" and the two-hour series finale, "And in the End...". In June, she starred as the lead character Ellie Lagden, one of four former convicts, in the BBC One eight-part drama series "Hope Springs".


title: Alex Kingston

text: In the early 2010s, Kingston played a housewife in the five-part supernatural drama "Marchlands" (2011), an archaeologist in the second series of the revived "Upstairs Downstairs" (2012) and an analyst working for a missing persons unit in the four-part crime drama "Chasing Shadows" (2014)."" In the US, she appeared in the romantic film "Like Crazy" (2011) and the "Grey's Anatomy" spin-off series "Private Practice" (2011), in the guest role of a psychiatrist writing book reviews. She also starred in the first season of The CW's superhero drama series "Arrow" (2013) as Professor Dinah Lance, the mother of Laurel and Sara Lance, and later reprised the role in a few episodes over the next three seasons. On stage, she participated in the Donmar Warehouse production of Friedrich Schiller's play "Luise Miller" (2011), directed by Michael Grandage.


title: Alex Kingston

text: In July 2013, she played Lady Macbeth opposite Kenneth Branagh in the Manchester International Festival's production of "Macbeth", which was broadcast live in cinemas worldwide as part of the National Theatre Live programme. Following a nomination for Best Actress at the Manchester Theatre Awards, she reprised her role with Branagh at the Park Avenue Armory in June 2014, making her New York stage debut. Earlier in April, Branagh and Kingston took other classic Shakespearean lead roles in the two-and-a-half-hour adaptation of "Antony and Cleopatra", broadcast on BBC Radio 3 as part of its celebration of the 450th anniversary of Shakespeare's birth.


title: Alex Kingston

text: During the late 2010s, she took a prominent role as Sarah Bishop in Sky's fantasy drama "A Discovery of Witches" (2018–2022), while also appearing in shows like "" (2016), "Shoot the Messenger" (2016) and "The Widow" (2019). In 2021, she wrote a River Song novel called "Doctor Who: The Ruby's Curse" for BBC Books, and reprised the role for pre-recorded elements of the interactive theatrical experience "Time Fracture". The following year, she starred as the villainous Lucifer in an episode of the "Oliver Twist"-inspired children's television series "Dodger", also starring the Ninth Doctor actor, Christopher Eccleston.


title: Alex Kingston

text: In September 2022, it was announced that she will return to the Royal Shakespeare Company for the first time since the early nineties in the role of Prospero in "The Tempest".


title: Alex Kingston

text: Kingston met English actor Ralph Fiennes while they were both students at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. They were together for ten years before marrying in 1993. In 1995, Fiennes began an affair with his "Hamlet" co-star Francesca Annis and left Kingston the following year; they were divorced in 1997. In a 2006 interview, she admitted to considering and nearly attempting suicide after her separation from Fiennes.


title: Alex Kingston

text: At the end of 1998, Kingston married German writer and freelance journalist Florian Haertel, having met him the previous year on a blind date arranged by friends; they have a daughter together, Salome Violetta Haertel, born 28 March 2001. Kingston and Haertel separated in 2009. On 30 October 2009, Haertel sued Kingston for dissolution of the marriage, and the divorce was finalised in 2013.