Riyad Karim Mahrez (born 21 February 1991) is a professional footballer from Algeria who currently plays for Manchester City as a winger in the Premier League, as well as the captain for the Algerian National Team. Known for his great technique and control of the ball, the African Nations Cup winner is one player who quickly rose to prominence. We shed more light in the life of this phenomenal player in our Riyad Mahrez biography facts, childhood, career, net worth and personal life.
Riyad Mahrez Biography Facts, Age, Info
| Full Name: | Riyad Karim Mahrez |
|---|---|
| Nickname: | The Algerian Jewel |
| Date of Birth / Age: | February 21, 1991 (32 years) |
| Place of Birth: | Sarcelles, France |
| Nationality: | Algerian, French, Moroccan |
| Occupation: | Football (Soccer) Player |
| Current Club / Team: | Manchester City (#26), Algerian National Team (#7) |
| Playing Position: | Forward |
| Height: | 5ft 10in (1.79m) |
| Weight: | 60kg |
| Strong Foot: | Left |
| Parents: | Ahmed Mahrez (Father), Halima Mahrez (Mother) |
| Siblings: | Walid Mahrez (brother), Innes Mahrez (sister), Dounya Mahrez (sister) |
| Partner / Spouse: | Rita Mahrez |
| Children / Kids: | Inaya Mahrez (daughter) |
| Net Worth: | $8 million USD |
| Zodiac Sign: | Pisces |
Riyad Mahrez Childhood/Early Life & Family Background
Riyad Mahrez was born on the 21st of February 1991 to his father, Ahmed Mahrez (Algerian) and Halima Mahrez (Moroccan) in Sarcelles, France. He is the 2nd of 4 children—his elder brother Walid Mahrez and his 2 sisters Innes Mahrez and Dounya Mahrez. They all grew up in one of the very rough suburbs very close to Paris.
Back then, Sarcelles was known for its drug dealing and violence. Ahmed his father was a former Footballer, having played in Algeria for a while, before migrating to France. So when his son began to develop a passion for the sport, he was there to give his son his full support.
In 2004, He started playing for AAS Sarcelles, and his father would accompany him to training and almost every game. But Ahmed his father died in 2006, and Riyad was only 15 at the time. The painful loss of his father motivated him to take football seriously.
Riyad Mahrez Professional Football Career & Awards
Quimper Kerfeunteun F.C. (2009–2010)
Mahrez moved to Quimper, a club in the 7th tier in France. As a teenager, Mahrez was very skinny, and his coaches thought he wouldn’t make it as a professional because he wasn’t as strong or as fast as his peers, but his technique was great, and he focused on developing it even more.
Le Havre AC (2010–2014)
His hard work at Quimper finally paid off, and he got several offers from big clubs like Paris Saint-Germain and Marseille. But he was looking to develop his game even further so he rejected their offers and chose to sign for Le Havre in the French second division. Mahrez had to work his way up to the first team from the Reserves. He scored 6 goals and featured in 60 matches before Leicester City came calling. Mahrez was unhappy with the Ligue 2 gameplay, where most teams were happy to just sit back and defend. He criticized the Ligue 2, saying that most teams were happy to end matches with a goal-less draw.
Leicester City (2014–2018)
With Leicester being in the English Football League at the time, and when his brother Walid who is also his manager, told him about Leicester City, he thought it was a Rugby Club. His family were sceptic about him going to England and were expecting him to move to Spain where the gameplay was more technical than physical. But Mahrez rose to the challenge and moved to England to play in the English 2nd tier league. He was impressed with their training facilities and quickly settled in.
He made his debut for Leicester in the 79th minute, against Middlesbrough in a game they won 2-0. He scored his first goal the equalizer in a draw against Nottingham Forest, and after a few matches as a substitute, he began playing as a starter. Leicester went on to win the championship title and got promoted to the premier league, after 10 years of absence.
He scored his first Premier League goal in October 2014 in a 2-2 draw against Burnley and played a huge role in Leicester run of 7 wins in the last 9 games to ensure that they remain in the Premier League, having scored 4 goals and 3 assists. He signed a renewed contract, keeping him in the club for another 4 years, and scored 2 goals in a 4-2 win against Sunderland in their 1st league match of the season. By the end of the season, he had 17 league goals and 8 assists, with his efforts being instrumental to Leicester’s first-ever Premier League trophy and got selected in the Premier League’s Team of the Year.
Leicester renewed his contract yet again and he played a big part in helping Leicester reach the quarter-final of the Champions League. He already had interests from bigger clubs like Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City, and Mahrez thought he was ready to take on a new challenge, so he made his wish for a transfer public. But the transfer didn’t happen, and he ended up spending 1 more season at the club.
Manchester City (2018–date)
By July 2018, Mahrez signed for Manchester City in a £60 million move, becoming Manchester City’s most expensive player and the biggest transfer fee received by Leicester’s for a single player. He scored his first goals a brace in Manchester City’s 6-0 thumping of Cardiff. By the end of his first season with Manchester City, he had won his 2nd Premier League Title, as well as FA Cup and the Carabao trophy, he was even named the best player of the Carabao tournament.
At the end of the 2018 / 2019 season, Mahrez got named in the 23 man squad to play in the African Nations Cup and appointed a team captain. He scored a stunning freekick in the 5th minute of injury time to end a cagey match against Nigeria and take them to the final. Algeria won the tournament by defeating Cameroon 1-0 and becoming African Champions. This took Mahrez’s medals to 4 in a single season.
Riyad Mahrez Net Worth, Endorsements & Salary
Mahrez currently has an estimated net worth of $8 million USD. His net worth is boosted by his endorsement deals with Nike and Pepsi to mention a few. He currently earns an annual salary of £10.4 million Pounds.
Riyad Mahrez Family, Wife, Personal Life
Mahrez got married to his English girlfriend named Rita Johal in 2015, and they both have 2 daughters with the younger born in 2019 and the elder in 2015.
He is a devout Muslim and journeyed to Mecca for his Pilgrimage in 2017.
SEE MORE: Biography facts and profiles of famous footballers
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