Aliaksandr Paulavich Hleb, commonly referred to in English as Alexander Hleb, is a Belarusian former professional footballer.
20 Facts About Alexander Hleb
2.
Alexander Hleb is known for his passing, agility and dribbling ability.
3.
Alexander Hleb's mother worked on a construction site while his father drove petrol tankers.
4.
Alexander Hleb's father had volunteered to help demolish houses in Ukraine made uninhabitable as the result of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.
5.
Alexander Hleb believes this exposure to radiation caused his father's ill health.
6.
Alexander Hleb made his Bundesliga debut on 5 September 2000 in an away match at 1.
7.
Alexander Hleb ended the season with 40 appearances and three goals.
8.
In July 2009, Alexander Hleb returned to VfB Stuttgart on a one-year loan.
9.
On 31 August 2010, Alexander Hleb returned to England by signing a season-long loan deal with Premier League club Birmingham City.
10.
On 31 August 2011, Alexander Hleb was loaned out to VfL Wolfsburg.
11.
On 26 July 2012, Alexander Hleb signed a contract with BATE Borisov and won the 2012 Belarusian Premier League in his return season.
12.
On 4 January 2014, Alexander Hleb signed a contract with Torku Konyaspor in the Turkish Super Lig for one-and-a-half years, with an option to extend the contract for an additional year.
13.
In February 2015, Alexander Hleb left Konyaspor for Super Lig rivals Genclerbirligi.
14.
Alexander Hleb won over 20 caps for the Belarus under-21 side.
15.
Alexander Hleb scored a goal in the finals of the 2002 LG Cup, which Belarus won.
16.
Alexander Hleb rejected any suggestion that he was a "prima donna".
17.
Alexander Hleb was part of the team at the victorious friendly Malta International Football Tournament in 2008.
18.
Alexander Hleb was called "Zauberlehrling" or "Sorcerer's Apprentice" for his silky skills and dazzling tricks in Germany when he played in the Bundesliga.
19.
In 2003, Alexander Hleb was involved in a car crash in Minsk, after which a passenger in the other car died in hospital.
20.
Alexander Hleb was married to Anastasia Kosenkova, ex-singer of the Belarusian pop group Topless, from 2008 until 2014.