Olivier Giroud in Pictures

French footballer Olivier Giroud 

Alvaro Morata

Alvaro Morata is a striker for Real Madrid. He signed with his current team in 2008, and debuted in the first team in 2010.

The Spaniard also plays for his country internationally, having participated in U17 2009 FIFA World Cup in Nigeria.

Born: October 23, 1992 in Madrid, Spain 

Height: 6'3" 

Weight: 181 lbs 

Social Media: Twitter, Facebook

Career Highlights

• debuted in U21 at the 2013 European Championships 
• Golden Boot Award, UEFA European U19 Championship
• Golden Boot Award, UEFA European U21 Championship 
• scored his first goal with Real Madrid in November 11, 2012, in a match vs. Levante.

Gareth Bale Presentation at Real Madrid

Gareth Bale was presented at the Bernabeu today to the Real Madrid fans.

Photo source: Real Madrid Google+

Andrew Walker

Andrew Walker is the forward/midfielder of Carlton Football Club of the Australian Football League.

Aside from playing football, Walker is a member of a band called Number One Draft Pick. He plays the drums. 

Born: May 18, 1986 in Echuca, Victoria

Height: 1.89 m
Weight: 90 kg

Social Media:

Website: www.carltonfc.com.au/player-profile/andrew-walker

Career Highlights:

• No. 2 draft pick in 2003
• 150 career games, 115 career points 
• Club Top Goalkicker, 2011
• Pre-season Premiership player, 2007
• nominee, AFL Rising Star 2006 

Matt Jarvis

Matt Jarvis is an English football player, playing as a winger for the English Premier League team West Ham United. He previously played for Wolverhampton Wanderers (2007-12) and Gillingham (2003-07). He transfered to West Ham after a 10.75 million-pound offer.

Born: May 22, 1986 in Middlesbrough, England
Height: 5'7" 
Weight: 159 lbs 
Social Media: twitter.com/MrMattJarvis
Website: mattjarvisofficial.com

Career Highlights

• Debuted to the England squad in 2011, in a friendly against Ghana 
• 2011 Supporters' Player of the Season award
• 2011 Players' Player of the Season award
• first Wolverhampton Wanderers player to play as an England international since 1990
• appeared in 239 career games, with 32 goals in total (as of 2013)

Jamie Redknapp

Retired English footballer Jamie Redknapp enjoying the beach.

Guillaume Gillet

Guillaume Gillet is a midfielder for the Belgian football team Anderlecht. 

Born: March 9, 1984 in Liege, Belgium
Weight: 169 lbs
Height: 6'1"
Position: midfielder

Career Highlights:

• played for the clubs RFC Liege (2002-04), Vise (2004-05), Eupen (2005-06), Gent (2006-08) and Anderlecht (2008-present) so far in his career
• plays for the Belgium national team, debuting in 2007
• played for the Belgian U21 team in 2006-07

Thom Evans

Thom Evans is a retired international rugby union player. The Scottish fullback last played for the Glasgow Warriors in the Magners League. He retired at age 24, after he injured his neck in a collision with a player during a Six Nations game in Feb 2010.

He and his brother Max appeared in the 2010 Dieux du Stade calendar. He was also a member of a pop group Twen2y4Se7en, which toured in 2004. Evans, who is now a model, is dating actress Kelly Brook.

Born: April 2, 1985 in Harare, Zimbabwe 

Height: 6'0" 

Weight: 91 kg 

Social Media: twitter.com/ThomEvans11

Career Highlights: 

• played for London Wasps, 2004-2006 
• played fo Glasgow Warriors, 2006-2010, with 60 caps 
• played for the Scotland national team, 2008-2010 - represented England at U16, U18 and U21 level

A Day in Life of David Pocock

At practice

shopping for shoes?

helping a teammate limber up on the beach:

Nick Youngquest

Nick Youngquest is an Australian professional rugby league footballer. He plays fullback and wing for the Super League's Castleford Tigers, and has previously played for Crusaders RL, St. George Illawarra Dragons, Gateshead Thunders, among others. He announced his retirement at the end of 2011 season

Born: July 28, 1983, in Sydney, New South Wales

Height: 6'0"

Weight: 87 kg

Twitter: twitter.com/Nick_Youngquest

Career Highlights:

• First grade debut in 2003, for Cronulla
• moved to the French rugby league in 2008
• played for the English Championship team Gateshead Thunder in 2009

David Pocock in Training

Australian rugby union player David Pocock on training.

and his interview with Total Rugby:

David Myers

David Myers is an Aussie Rules footballer, playing midfielder for the Essendon club. He was playing for the club since 2008. 

Born: June 30, 1989 in Perth, Australia
Height: 191 cm
Weight: 88 kg

Career Highlights:

• Played 45 games since 2008, scoring 11 goals
• signed contract extension with Essendon for 2 more years
• Picked sixth on the 2007 draft

Raphael Varane

Raphael Varane is the French center back for the Spanish La Liga team Real Madrid. Previously he played for the French club Lens, from 2010 to 2011, after a successful stint as a youth international for France and under the youth team of Lens.

Varane was signed by Real Madrid in June 2011 with a transfer fee of 10 million euros.

Born: April 25, 1993 in Lille, France

Height: 6'3"

Weight: 76 kg

Website/Social Media: www.raphaelvarane.org

Career Highlights:

• earned caps for France national youth team in under-18 and under-21 levels
• Debuted for Real Madrid in a match vs. LA Galaxy, in a competitive match vs Racing Santander

Bachar Houli during Practice

Richmond Tigers midfielder Bachar Houli during practice. 

Bachar Houli bio here

Scott Higginbotham

Scott Higginbotham is an Australian rugby union player. He is currently playing as a loose forward with the Queensland Reds in the Super Rugby league, from 2008 to 2012. He will be playing for Melbourne Rebels starting in 2013, in a 2 year contract. 

Higginbotham also played for Ballymore Tornadoes, in 2007

Born: September 5, 1986 in Perth, Australia 

Height: 6'5" 

Weight: 110 kg 

Website: Twitter

Career Highlights:

• Named part of the Australian team in 2010, as a reserve
• first start with the Wallabies in 2011 Tri Nations Series
• played 11 tests for Australia
• record with Reds: 64 caps, 85 points

Lukas Podolski

Lukas Podolski is a German forward playing for the English Premier League team Arsenal. He also competes internationally for the German national team.


Born in Poland, Podolski migrated to West Germany when he was 2 years old. He was part of the German U-17 in 2001 and continued playing for the national team until he reached the senior level in 2004, where he played as the youngest German player in Euro 2004. He also played in the 2006 and 2010 World Cups, as well as in Euro 2008 and Euro 2012.

Born: June 4, 1985 in Gliwice, Poland
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 83 kg
Website: Twitter

Career Highlights:

• Scored his first goal in 2006 World Cup in a match vs Ecuador
• Clubs: FC Koln (2004-06), Bayern Munich (2006-08),  FC Koln (2008-12), Arsenal (2012)
• FIFA World Cup Best Young Player, 2006
• UEFA Euro 2008 Silver Boot

Fernando Torres

Fernando Torres is a Spanish professional soccer player, currently a forward/striker for English Premier League team Chelsea. He started his career in Atletico Madrid (2001-2007),  then moved to Liverpool (2007-11), then to his current team in 2011 for a record transfer fee of 50 million pounds, making him the most expensive Spanish player.


Torres also plays internationally for Spain. He score the winning goal for Spain in the UEFA Euro 2008 final against Germany, and scored again during the final of the Euro 2012 against Italy. He debuted for Spain in 2003.

Born: March 20, 29184
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 180 lbs
Website: www.fernando9torres.com




Career Highlights:

• Scored three goals in the 2006 World Cup
• Won the Golden Boot in Euro 2012
• Premier League player of the month (2007)
• Scored 29 goals in 2007-08 season for Liverpool

The Hulk

Givanildo Vieira de Souza is a Brazilian football player who plays as a forward and winger in the Portugese league team Porto. He is nicknamed "Hulk."

He previously played for Vitoria (2004-05) in Salvador, Bahia, then moved to Japan to play for Kawasaki Frontale (2006-08) and Consadole Sapporo (2006). He was then loaned to Tokyo Verdy (2007-08), after which he moved to Portugal and signed up with Porto in 2008.

Hulk also plays internationally for Brazil, debuting in November 2009 in a friendly versus England. So far he has scored three goals for Brazil in international competitions.

Born: July 25, 1986 in Campina Grande, Brazil
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 76 kg






Career Highlights:

• Extended his contract with Porto until 2014 with a buyout price of 100 million euros
• Elected into Top 10 Rising Stars by UEFA
• Footballer of the Month in Premeira Liga, six times