Our Martin Braithwaite Biography tells you Facts about his Childhood story, Early Life, Parents – Heidi Braithwaite (Mother) and Keith Braithwaite (Father), Family Background, Wife, Children, Uncle, Lifestyle, Net worth and Personal life.
In a nutshell, we present to you the Full Life History of Martin Braithwaite, from his boyhood days, to when he became famous.
To whet your autobiography appetite, here is his Early Life and Rise gallery — a perfect summary of Martin Braithwaite’s Bio.
More so, you’ve probably never considered reading Martin his Life story, especially the one that captions; “From the wheelchair to FC Barcelona“, which is quite interesting. Now without further ado, let’s begin.
For Biography starters, he’s nicknamed “The Street Fighter“. As a five-year-old, little Martin Braithwaite was forced into a wheelchair. This is, without doubt, the most heartfelt moment of his childhood years.
Upon his birth, Martin Braithwaite’s parents had him bear the name “Martin Christensen Braithwaite“.
The naming of their child followed the Danish family customs, as the name “Christensen” was that bore by Martin Braithwaite’s mother (Heidi) before she got married to his dad. The surname “Braithwaite” comes from his dad.
Martin Braithwaite was born on the 5th day of June 1991 to his mother, Heidi Braithwaite and father, Keith Braithwaite, in Esbjerg, Denmark. The Dane was born 24 days after Barça lifted the 11th League of its history.
Truth is, in the first years of Martin Braithwaite’s early life, there is absolutely nothing that suggested that he would grow up and become a football star, one who would play in one of the world’s biggest clubs.
Martin grew up alongside his sibling (a sister named Mathilde Braithwaite), in the seaport town of Esbjerg Municipality, located on the west coast of the Jutland peninsula (southwest Denmark).
Behold the rare and earliest childhood photo of Martin Braithwaite.
The truth is, the football forward isn’t entirely Danish.
Did you know?… one of Martin Braithwaite’s parents, notably his mum Heidi (pictured below), is Danish by virtue of her birth and family ancestry.
Martin Braithwaite’s parents- his mother, Heidi Braithwaite.
To say his mum comes from Denmark is a bit over-generalized. Did you know?… Martin Braithwaite’s mother, Heidi, has her family roots in the Danish town of Esbjerg, which is her son’s birthplace.
On the other hand, Martin Braithwaite’s dad, Keith, has his family origin from Guyana, a former British colony in northern South America.
Martin Braithwaite Childhood – The Wheelchair Story:
Braithwaite was football-mad from his childhood. A childhood photo of him kicking a ball was once captured by a Danish newspaper when he was just two years old.
But at the time he was age five, everything changed for the worst. The Danish striker was forced into a wheelchair because of serious health difficulties. According to FourFourTwo, it was a disease called Legg-Calve-Perthes.
Martin’s leg bone developed abnormally and became deformed, one which made him have difficulties in walking.
As a result, he was advised not to put his legs under any pressure, for example, by running around. This was why the poor Dane was forced to use a wheelchair.
Speaking about his agony, he once said;
“Sitting on a wheelchair was really difficult. I was very young and I didn’t understand why I had to be in a wheelchair. In frustration, I was always trying to get out of it. I felt embarrassed.
Back then, I needed people around me all the time, to take care of me, like a baby. I couldn’t do the things other kids did. All I wanted to do was to get up and play football.”
Martin Braithwaite Biography – Early Life (before career start):
Initially, Braithwaite was not told how long he’d be in that wheelchair. It’s just that he had to wait, waiting for the day his bones would become strong enough to allow him, not just to walk, but to kick a ball again.
The joy of Martin Braithwaite’s parents and family members knew no bounds as Martin got up from the wheelchair after two years, becoming stronger than ever.
He was given “OK” by doctors to continue playing his football, which was the only thing that mattered for him.
Keith spent hours with his son on the local pitch, encouraging him to take inspiration from the Brazilian star Ronaldo. Speaking to a FrenchFootballColumn in 2016, Martin once said;
“My father insisted that I observe Ronaldo de Lima’s gestures and dribbling”
Martin Braithwaite’s Biography – Early Life in Football:
After a successful trial, Braithwaite got enrolled into the academy roaster of the local Danish club- Sædding-Guldager Idrætsforening (SGI).
In a bid to progress further, he joined the biggest club in his city, Esbjerg fB. He then spent a short time at FC Midtjylland’s sports academy before moving back to Esbjerg so he could be close to his family.
Early on, Martin became this ambitious academy player who was eager to play his football abroad.
Did you know?… During his second stint at the Esbjerg academy, the young Dane went on trials with both Reggina and Newcastle United. For family reasons, he decided to settle for senior football with Esbjerg fB.
To the delight of Martin Braithwaite’s family members, notably his dad, the young Dane got his senior international call-up while in his first season with Toulouse.
After scoring 35 goals for The Violets (Toulouse FC’s nickname), Martin, who captained the club, became hot-heat in the transfer market. He soon decided to go taste his skill set in England, where he joined Middlesbrough.
Unfortunately, Braithwaite failed to leave a major mark at the Riverside Stadium. England never benefited him and this development led him to become a journeyman forward.
Martin paid his dues by accepting loan moves with Bordeaux and Leganés – the latter he finally settled for.
However, the biggest highlight in Braithwaite’s road to fame years came when he delivered one of his trademark international goals, one which saw fans giving him the nickname “The Streetfighter“.
The Streetfighter nickname came, thanks to this Goal.
Martin Braithwaite Bio – The Rise to Fame Story:
Precisely on the 20th of February 2020, the joy of Martin Braithwaite’s parents and family members knew no bounds at the time Barca trigged his release clause and signed him.
Thankfully, Braithwaite became the fifth Danish player in history to wear the Barça shirt, after Allan Simonsen, Michael Laudrup, Thomas Christiansen, and Ronnie Ekelund.
After his debut, the Barca new boy joked that he “will not wash his clothes” after receiving a hug from Lionel Messi. Professing his love for the GOAT, Martin once said;
“If football were a religion, Messi might be a God”
The new Barca boy once vowed not to wash his clothes after his first hug with Messi.
For a successful footballer like Martin, there first came a glamorous girlfriend who later turned into his wife. She is no other than Anne-Laure Louis, the famous French Journalist and TV show host.
Meet Martin Braithwaite’s Wife, Anne-Laure Louis.
Martin Braithwaite met his future wife Anne-Laure Louis through her workplace after admiring her on several occasions on French TV.
The lover boy requested for a date and the rest, as they say, ended in marriage.
Martin Braithwaite and Anne-Laure Louis wedding photo.
Just like her husband, Anne-Laure Louis is also a hardworking lady. Asides from journalism, she has also ventured into fashion. Did you know?… Anne-Laure Louis is the founder of the clothing brand; @trentefrance.
Judging from the photo above, you’ll agree with me that a handsome guy like Martin and a beautiful lady like Anne-Laure Louis deserve to have cute kids.
Both couples are parents to three children (Romeo Lion Braithwaite et al.), with a fourth kid (a son) being expected in April 2020.
Despite being fascinated by his football career, Martin lives with the constant fear of getting broke after his football career. He constantly thinks about what to do when his career ends.
Getting to know Martin Braithwaite’s Personal Life away from Football. He lives a constant fear of being broke after his career ends, one which he has overcome.
Perhaps you might not know?… Martin Braithwaite’s family is close-knit in the US real-estate business.
The FC Barcelona forward partners with his uncle and grandfather as they invest in housing for students in the US city of Philadelphia.
Finally, on Martin Braithwaite’s personal life, his wheelchair story has made him learn more about focusing on opportunities rather than limitations.
This has turned him into a charity giver, one who combines football with philanthropy in the hope of inspiring others.
Did you know?…, in the 2016/2017 season, Martin created the #Score2Help hashtag. He pledged to donate €1,000 for every goal he scored, with the view of helping children & babies with limitations.
Below is a screenshot of his first and second donations, a substantial part of Martin Braithwaite’s biography he would never forget.
The Dane combines football with philanthropy in the hope of inspiring others.
Martin Braithwaite Family Life:
For Martin, Family is everything, the most important thing in the world, even more than his fame.
For those who know him, the father of Martin Braithwaite (Keith Braithwaite) is the coolest homeboy around, especially when it comes to performing his fatherly and granddad duties.
The truth is, many grannies would want to seek Keith’s help in a bid to know tips and tricks of conquering the challenges of grandfatherhood, especially one which applies the use of Karate skills.
The photo above depicts a true picture of Martin Braithwaite’s family life. Without a doubt, “Boys will always be boys”.
Now check out the super video of Martin Braithwaite’s dad (Keith) as he displayed his Karate skills to one of his grandsons in the presence of his daughter, Mathilde. Watch the video below.
Like many ageing fathers, Keith Braithwaite is also that person who hypes his favourite movies but can’t watch them for more than 10 minutes without being knocked out by sleep.
Below is a photo of Heidi alongside her best friend Lisbeth Mørkeberg and son, at the time, she lived in Toulouse.
Martin Braithwaite’s Mother is pictured alongside her best friend and son, Martin.
Martin Braithwaite’s Sister:
She is Mathilde Braithwaite. Remember that little kid in the Martin Braithwaite Childhood Story section of this article?…
We have guessed, that she is most likely to be Martin Braithwaite’s sister, who goes by the name Mathilde Braithwaite. She is all grown up and, of course, beautiful.
Meet Martin Braithwaite’s Sister, Mathilde Braithwaite. Isn’t she beautiful?
Martin Braithwaite’s Uncles:
It appears that in Mathilde Braithwaite’s family, his dad is probably the first child. Did you know why?… It’s because Martin has lots of young uncles who are most likely to be his father’s kid brother.
Pictured below are two of his uncles who are most likely to be in their 30s or 40s. Philip Michael Mathilde (pictured right), while Ian Chan is pictured left.
Martin Braithwaite’s Uncles- Philip Michael is Right and Ian Chan is Left.
Did you know?… Philip Michael Mathilde is Martin’s business partner, a fellow investor in his real-estate business. Philip is also a writer, one who has produced several best-seller books about finances.
Frede Christensen is Martin Braithwaite’s grandad and business partner from his mother’s side. Pictured below, Frede was the former director of HTH Kitchen in Esbjerg, Denmark for more than three decades.
He has 33 years of experience in real estate investing, a reason why he is chosen by his grandson to be his business partner.
Meet one of Martin Braithwaite’s grandparents- His grandpa, Frede Christensen.
Martin Braithwaite Lifestyle:
The Danish footballer earns his monies from his real estate business, contracts, salaries, bonuses, and endorsements.
Looking at his assets minus liabilities, Martin Braithwaite has a net worth of more than €10.00m. This can be attributed to him being a millionaire and also a pointer to an exotic lifestyle.
The FC Barcelona forward lives an organized life in Barcelona, a life devoid of showcasing his wealth.
He is not the kind of footballer who goes on Instagram to showcase flashy cars, big houses (mansions), expensive wears, etc. Martin drives a decent car and spends lots of time with his family.
Martin Braithwaite’s Lifestyle is a clear reflection of his personality. Credit: Twitter
Untold Facts:
In this final section of Martin Braithwaite’s biography, we’ll tell you some of his untold facts.
Since his arrival with Barcelona, lots of fans have asked the question; how much does Martin Braithwaite earn?…. While at Leganes, the forward’s contract saw him pocketing a whopping salary of around €1,738,000 per year.
He earns a similar salary in Barcelona (Players’ Wiki Report). More surprising below is Martin Braithwaite’s salary breakdown per year, month, day, hour, minute and second (as at the time of writing).
Updated player ratings are always a popular topic of discussion whenever a new FIFA is released. FIFA 20 is no different for Martin Braithwaite.
The Danish footballer is among the footballers who had the misfortune of finding out he is underrated. Now the question is; Would FIFA increases his ratings now that he is playing for FC Barcelona?
What is Martin Braithwaite’s Religion?
“St Martin“ is one of the most familiar and recognizable Roman Catholic saints. Also, Martin Braithwaite’s parents agreed to give him bear the middle name “Christensen“, which literally means “son of Christen“.
This is a common Danish variant of the given name Christian, which derives from the Greek word (christianos), meaning “follower of Christ.”
Hence without a doubt, Martin Braithwaite’s family members, including himself, adopt the Christianity religion.
Martin Braithwaite’s Tattoo Facts:
Tattoo culture is very popular in today’s sporting world as many footballers we know often use it to portray their religion and family members. Martin, at the time of writing, is tattoo-free, with no inks in his upper and lower body.
One of Martin Braithwaite’s Facts you never knew is that which denotes his support for Real Madrid as a child.
He made this known in 2011 when he got interviewed by Lokalavisen, a newspaper published in Hadsten, Denmark. This is where we stop on this, we don’t have to drill into that.
The Chris Brown Resemblance:
Is there a striking resemblance to Chris Brown?. Let us know in the comment section. Credit: Tribuna
This is, perhaps, one of Martin Braithwaite’s facts, we bet, will probably surprise you. Upon signing for FC Barcelona, football fans began to notice a new Chris Brown on the pitch.
At the time of writing (Tribuna report), some football fans still think Martin Braithwaite and Chris Brown are brothers. Now, on a scale from 1 to 10, Do Martin and the American rapper look alike?
Fact Check:
Thanks for reading our Martin Braithwaite Childhood Story Plus Untold Biography Facts.
Hi there! I am Hale Hendrix, a passionate football enthusiast and writer dedicated to uncovering the untold stories of footballers' childhood and biography. With a deep love for the beautiful game, I have spent countless hours researching and interviewing players to bring to light the lesser-known details of their lives.
