Mukhtar Ali
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Mukhtar Abdullah Ali | ||
Date of birth | 30 October 1997 | ||
Place of birth | Jeddah, Saudi Arabia[1] | ||
Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
Team information | |||
Current team | Al-Nassr | ||
Number | 6 | ||
Youth career | |||
–2008 | Leyton Orient | ||
2008–2017 | Chelsea | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2017 | Chelsea | 0 | (0) |
2017 | → Vitesse (loan) | 6 | (0) |
2017 | → Jong Vitesse (loan) | 4 | (0) |
2017–2019 | Vitesse | 9 | (1) |
2019– | Al-Nassr | 29 | (0) |
2022 | → Al-Tai (loan) | 11 | (2) |
2022–2023 | → Al-Tai (loan) | 27 | (2) |
2023–2024 | → Al-Fateh (loan) | 27 | (0) |
International career‡ | |||
2012 | England U16 | 2 | (0) |
2013–2014 | England U17 | 4 | (0) |
2017–2021 | Saudi Arabia U23 | ||
2017– | Saudi Arabia | 13 | (0) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22 August 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 11 June 2024 |
Mukhtar Abdullahi Ali (Arabic: مختار علي, born 30 October 1997) is a Somali-Saudi Arabian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for the Saudi Arabia national team and for Al-Nassr. He was born in Jeddah and moved to London as an infant.[1]
Club career
[edit]Chelsea
[edit]In 2008, Ali joined Chelsea at under-11 level from Leyton Orient and progressed through the club's academy system.[2] He was part of the Chelsea youth side which recorded back to back triumphs in the FA Youth Cup in 2015 and 2016.[2] With 42 appearances in all competitions he was the second-leading appearance maker in the academy and was also nominated for International Somali Sportsman of the Year.[3]
Vitesse
[edit]On 29 January 2017, Ali joined Vitesse on loan for the remainder of the 2016–17 campaign.[4] On 19 February 2017, Ali made his Vitesse debut in their 1–0 home defeat against Ajax, replacing Marvelous Nakamba in the 84th minute.[5] On 4 February 2017, he played his first match for Jong Vitesse against SV Spakenburg.[6] Ali went onto appear in five more league games during his loan spell.
On 17 July 2017, Vitesse permanently signed Ali on a three-year deal.[7]
Al-Nassr
[edit]On 31 August 2019, Al-Nassr signed Mukhtar Ali on a one-year deal from Vitesse.[8] On 29 January 2022, he renewed his contract with Al-Nassr until 2025 and was loaned out to Al-Tai.[9] On 29 August 2022, Mukhtar Ali rejoined Al-Tai on a one-year loan.[10] On 7 September 2023, Mukhtar Ali joined Al-Fateh on a one-year loan.[11]
International career
[edit]Ali represented England at both under-16 and under-17 level and was also eligible to represent Somalia, the country of his parents.[12] However, he pledged his allegiance to the Saudi Arabia national team,[13] and made his senior debut on 7 October 2017 against Jamaica. This was possibly based on the player's assertion that he was instead born in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.[14]
Career statistics
[edit]- As of match played 27 May 2024.[15]
Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Vitesse (loan) | 2016–17 | Eredivisie | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 6 | 0 | ||
Vitesse | 2017–18 | Eredivisie | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[b] | 0 | 2[c] | 0 | 6 | 0 |
2018–19 | Eredivisie | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 7 | 1 | ||
Al-Nassr | 2019–20 | Saudi Pro League | 20 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8[d] | 1 | — | 29 | 1 | |
2020–21 | Saudi Pro League | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2[d] | 0 | — | 8 | 0 | ||
2021–22 | Saudi Pro League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[d] | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | ||
2023–24 | Saudi Pro League | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[d] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
Total | 28 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 42 | 1 | ||
Al-Tai (loan) | 2021–22 | Saudi Pro League | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 11 | 2 | ||
2022–23 | Saudi Pro League | 27 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 28 | 2 | |||
Total | 38 | 4 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 39 | 4 | ||||
Al-Fateh (loan) | 2023–24 | Saudi Pro League | 27 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 29 | 0 | ||
Career total | 108 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 13 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 129 | 6 |
Honours
[edit]Club
[edit]Chelsea Reserves[2]
Vitesse
Al-Nassr
References
[edit]- ^ a b Meenaghan, Gary (2018-04-06). Mukhtar Ali ‘fit and ready’ for Saudi Arabia if World Cup call comes. Arab News. Retrieved 2020-03-22.
- ^ a b c "Mukhtar Ali". TheChels.info. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
- ^ "International Somali Awards 2017 Nominees: Sports Person of the Year". Anti Tribalism Movement : The ATM. 22 January 2017. Archived from the original on 29 November 2021. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
- ^ "Academy midfielder loan". Chelsea Official Site. 29 January 2017. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
- ^ "Vitesse vs. Ajax". Soccerway. 19 February 2017. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
- ^ "SPAKENBURG VS. VITESSE II 2 - 2". Soccerway. 4 February 2017. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
- ^ "Ali joins Vitesse". Chelsea Official Site. 17 July 2017. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
- ^ Al-Nassr is officially signed by Mukhtar Ali
- ^ "رسميا.. النصر يجدد عقد مختار ويعيره للطائي". 29 January 2022.
- ^ "الطائي يستعير لاعب النصر". 29 August 2022.
- ^ "الفتح يضم مختار علي بنظام الإعارة من النصر". 7 September 2023.
- ^ "Mukhtar Ali 'fit and ready' for Saudi Arabia if World Cup call comes". 6 April 2018.
- ^ Vitesse. "Vitesse nieuws: Vitesse-spelers internationaal actief". Vitesse.nl.
- ^ "Mukhtar Ali 'fit and ready' for Saudi Arabia if World Cup call comes". Arab News. 6 April 2018. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
- ^ Mukhtar Ali at Soccerway
External links
[edit]- Mukhtar Ali at WorldFootball.net
- 1997 births
- Living people
- Footballers from Jeddah
- Saudi Arabian men's footballers
- Saudi Arabia men's international footballers
- English men's footballers
- English people of Saudi Arabian descent
- Saudi Arabian people of Somali descent
- England men's youth international footballers
- English people of Somali descent
- Naturalised citizens of Saudi Arabia
- Saudi Arabian emigrants to the United Kingdom
- Somalian emigrants to the United Kingdom
- Men's association football midfielders
- Chelsea F.C. players
- SBV Vitesse players
- Leyton Orient F.C. players
- Al Nassr FC players
- Al-Tai FC players
- Al Fateh SC players
- Saudi Pro League players
- Eredivisie players
- Expatriate men's footballers in England
- Expatriate men's footballers in the Netherlands
- Saudi Arabian expatriate sportspeople in England
- Saudi Arabian expatriate sportspeople in the Netherlands
- Footballers from London
- Olympic footballers for Saudi Arabia
- Footballers at the 2020 Summer Olympics
- 2023 AFC Asian Cup players