LifeBogger presents the Full Story of a Man City Legend and Algerian Football Genius best known by the Nickname; ‘Algerian Jewel’.
Our version of Riyad Mahrez’s Biography and Childhood Story brings you a full account of notable events from his childhood time to date.
The analysis of Riyad Mahrez’s Bio involves his life story before fame, relationship facts, family life, and many OFF-Pitch little-known facts about him.
Yes, everyone knows about his abilities, but few have read our version of Riyad Mahrez’s Biography, which is quite interesting. Now, without further ado, let’s begin.
Riyad Mahrez Childhood Story – Early Life and Family Background:
For Biography starters, Riyad Karim Mahrez was born on the 21st day of February 1991 in Sarcelles, France. He is Pisces by Zodiac. Riyad was born to his Algerian/Moroccan mother, Halima Mahrez and father, Ahmed Mahrez.
Growing up, Riyad Mahrez would regularly spend his holidays in Algeria. He grew up around violence in Sarcelles, France. Sarcelles is renowned for its violence, drug dealing, immigrant community and chronic unemployment.
The police shooting of two youths in October 2005 sparked rioting in Sarcelles and other poverty-stricken suburbs of Paris, lasting for weeks.
Riyad’s parents made sure their sons would remain inside their home under lock and keys for fear of being victims of violence.
Night after night, masked youths stole cars and then torched them. More so, they ran pitched battles with heavily French-armed riot police.
Sarcelles is also a migrant neighbourhood that has produced top Muslim migrant footballers, an example of whom is Zinedine Zidane. Zidane’s talent motivated Riyad to give football a start.
However, it was his father, Ahmed, who further sparked his son’s love of the game.
To ensure things ran smoothly, he established a constant presence in his son’s footballing development. Ahmed even accompanied him to every single game.
When Mahrez was fifteen, his father died of a heart attack. This hit him hard. He reflected that…
“I started to be more serious after the death of my dad. This was when things started to go for me.” He vowed to make it as a pro to honour his old man.
Mahrez describes his Dad’s death as the ‘kickstart’ to his career. Instead of retreating into grief, he used the tragedy to be “more serious” about football.
Challenges came even while he pushed himself. Riyad Mahrez wasn’t the most physically developed player in his younger days.
His youth coaches once told him he’d never make it in football owing to his stick-thin looks. They deemed him “too skinny” to play professional football.
The Algerian once revealed, “They said I was too skinny, that everyone will push me off the ball. Thou, I had a good technique, but physically, I wasn’t too strong. And I wasn’t fast. But I always worked hard.”
As Riyad puts it again, one manager once advised him in his own words… “When you’re skinny or small, you as you are…you don’t go into duels,” he said.
“You have to play without contact, and you have to be clever because now you’re not strong enough.”
Riyad Mahrez Biography Facts – Overcoming the Odds:
Despite being very frail, Riyad never gave up. Instead, he learned to take responsibility for his failures on the pitch. He developed something bigger than technology. That’s guts, balls and character.
Four years after the death of his father, 19-year-old Mahrez signed a contract with Quimper Football Club, a team in the seventh tier of French football.
At the Quimper squad, Mahrez played with Mathias Pogba, brother of French footballing phenom Paul Pogba.
The ancient town of Quimper, in Brittany, France, is not the most likely starting place for a superstar footballer.
As he progressed at Quimper, both PSG and Marseille wanted to sign him, but the teenager rejected them. “No, Thank You!”
His decision paid off as he rose through the ranks of the squad. By 2014, clubs throughout Europe had Mahrez on their radar.
Journey to Leicester:
One fateful day, Riyad’s elder brother and manager, Wahid, informed him of Leicester City’s interest in signing him, which is more likely to be favoured.
Upon first hearing the name ‘Leicester, ‘ Mahrez thought his brother was talking about a rugby team. At the time, Leicester was still in the Championship League and outside of true English football.
Only a few knew of the club’s existence. He obeyed his big brother and packed his bags. In January 2014, Mahrez signed for English side Leicester City.
In his words…”When I came to Leicester, I saw that their facilities were very good. I do not regret signing for them; it’s the best club I’ve ever been at.”
He helped them win the Championship, which gave them a promotion to the Premier League at the end of his first season.
His unconventional path to stardom came when he won the 2015/2016 Barclays Premier League title for the club.
At Leicester, he became the first Algerian and African player to win the best player award for English football. The rest, as they say, is now history.
Riyad Mahrez Love Life:
Rita once revealed she had dozens of stalkers and that she still suffered at the hands of internet trolls.
After accepting to date Riyad, she said…“The lifestyle of a WAG is obviously good, it does have its pitfalls – with abuse on the internet among them.” Indeed, she is a paragon of beauty, as seen in the photo below.
Mahrez got married to his English girlfriend, Rita Johal, in 2015. He tied the knot with the English woman in the summer before committing his professional future to the Foxes.
Indeed, he is a sharpshooter off the pitch. Their daughter was born in 2015 when he got married.
Rita is currently a mother of two at the time of writing. Her Algerian husband has revealed that he is a complete family man.
Riyad Mahrez Family Life:
Riyad Mahez came from a middle-class family background before football investments paid off. “We were definitely not rich, but we were not poor,” says Mahrez.
About Riyad Mahrez Father:
His father, Ahmed, was from Beni Snous, Tlemcen District in Algeria. He grew up in the tiny village of El Khemi in the countryside of western Algeria, close to the Moroccan border.
From a middle-class family, Ahmed was a gifted student studying mathematics. He was also a proficient sportsman himself.
Mahrez’s father had played professional football for small teams in Algeria and France. Below is a photo of him during his playing days.
Late Ahmed was always behind his son and upon his birth, he wanted Riyad to be a footballer. Riyad, on the other hand, always listened to him.
However, everything changed after doctors diagnosed the young Ahmed with a heart condition, which sent him running to Europe for treatment.
This was the beginning of poverty for his family, who struggled to survive financially. They were unable to raise money for his medication.
Mahrez’s father, Ahmed, passed away at the age of 54 when his second son, Riyad, was just 15. He is a proud man today, having fulfilled his father’s ambition.
About Riyad Mahrez Mother:
Riyad Mahrez’s mother, Halima Mahrez, became the source of motivation for Mahrez from the moment she lost her husband. Below is her celebrating her son’s success in Leicester.
In fact, she had been there for him at every step of the way. Halima once geared up in her motherly duties for her son after knowing he would be a great person.
In his words...“My mum always came home from work and did everything so that we ate well.” Riyad’s mother recently left Sarcelles, France. On her reason for leaving, she said… “People have become jealous of my son’s success despite the fact he has not forgotten his roots.”
Riyad Mahrez Brother:
Wahid Mahrez has always played the role of a father figure for Riyad since after he lost his dad. He currently manages his career. He is the reason Riyad signed for Leicester.
Riyad Mahrez Biography Facts – The Pizza Maker:
Aside from football, Riyad Mahrez loves making pizza with his friends. He gets along with virtually everyone. If football investment hadn’t paid off, Riyad would probably be a Pizzaman. Just look at him tossing a Pizza in the air.
Riyad Mahrez Biography – First Algerian to Score Hatrick:
Riyad Mahrez is the first and only Algerian – at least for the time being – to have scored a Premier League hat-trick.
On 5 December 2015, the 25-year-old achieved this impressive feat during Leicester’s decisive 3-0 victory against Swansea City FC. Even Ali Benarbia, who used to play for Manchester City between 2001 to 2003, couldn’t achieve this.
Riyad Mahrez Religion:
Mahrez is a practising Muslim who has a deep devotion to Islam, like fellow Algerian Ismael Bennacer. In June 2017, he made the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca.
Riyad Mahrez Bio – Zodiac Traits:
Mahrez’s zodiac is Pisces, and has the following attributes to his personality;
Riyad Mahrez’s Strengths: Compassionate, artistic, intuitive, gentle, wise, and musical.
Riyad Mahrez’s Weakness: Fearful, overly trusting, sad, desire to escape reality, can be a victim or a martyr.
What Riyad Mahrez likes: Being alone, sleeping, music, romance, visual media, swimming and spiritual themes.
What Riyad Mahrez dislikes: Know-it-all, being criticized, the past coming back to haunt and cruelty of any kind.
Appreciation Note:
Thanks for reading Riyad Mahrez Biography. At LifeBogger, we strive for accuracy and fairness in the quest to deliver the stories of Algerian Footballers and Man City stars. Surely, the Life History of Yacine Adli and Said Benrahma will excite you.
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Good info but come on dude Zidane isn’t from Sarcelles at all he’s from La Castellane in Marseille which is the most violent hood in the most violent city in France, it’s considered a fortress anything goes there police don’t dare to set foot there.It wasn’t as bad back then but it’s always been bad.So please correct it.