David Alaba
David Olatukunbo Alaba (German pronunciation: [ˈdeɪvɪd ˈalaba]; born 24 June 1992) is an Austrian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back or left-back for La Liga club Real Madrid and captains the Austria national team. Considered one of the best defenders in the world, he is renowned for his versatility, technical skills and ability to contribute effectively in both defensive and offensive roles on the field.
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Alaba with Bayern Munich in 2019 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | David Olatukunbo Alaba | ||
| Date of birth | 24 June 1992 | ||
| Place of birth | Vienna, Austria | ||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Centre-back, left-back, midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Real Madrid | ||
| Number | 4 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2001–2002 | SV Aspern | ||
| 2002–2008 | Austria Wien | ||
| 2008–2009 | Bayern Munich | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2007–2008 | Austria Wien II | 5 | (0) |
| 2009–2010 | Bayern Munich II | 33 | (1) |
| 2010–2021 | Bayern Munich | 281 | (22) |
| 2011 | → 1899 Hoffenheim (loan) | 17 | (2) |
| 2021– | Real Madrid | 67 | (3) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2007–2009 | Austria U17 | 20 | (5) |
| 2010 | Austria U19 | 5 | (1) |
| 2009–2010 | Austria U21 | 5 | (0) |
| 2009– | Austria | 105 | (15) |
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*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22:03, 17 December 2023 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 01:40, 21 November 2023 (UTC) | |||
Alaba started out in Bayern's youth system before being promoted to the reserve team for the 2009–10 season. In January 2011, Alaba joined TSG 1899 Hoffenheim on loan until the end of the 2010–11 season. He returned to Bayern at the start of the 2011–12 season, where he went on to become a regular member of the first-team squad. Alaba made over 400 appearances for Bayern Munich, winning 27 honours including ten Bundesliga titles and two UEFA Champions League titles in 2013 and 2020, both as part of trebles. During his time in Germany, he was named in the UEFA Team of the Year three times. In 2021, Alaba signed for Real Madrid; he won the 2021–22 La Liga, Supercopa and Champions League title in his debut season.
Alaba is Austria's second youngest player to play for their senior national team, debuting for them in 2009 as a 17-year-old. He has earned over 100 caps and represented his country at UEFA Euro 2016 and UEFA Euro 2020. Widely regarded as one of the best Austrian players of all time, he was voted Austrian Footballer of the Year on nine occasions (including six consecutive times from 2011 to 2016).