Aliaksandr Hleb or Alexander Hleb born May 1, 1981 in Minsk), is a Belarusian footballer who plays in midfield for Arsenal and the Belarus national team. His natural position is attacking midfielder, but recently at Arsenal he has generally been used as a winger.
Hleb grew up in Minsk, his mother was a builder while his father drove petrol tankers. His father was "volunteered" to help knock down uninhabitable houses in the Ukraine as the result of the Chernobyl disaster. Hleb believes this exposure to radiation has caused his father ill health.
Before getting involved with football, Hleb was a keen swimmer and gymnast, which helps explain his flexibility and low centre of gravity on the pitch.
Hleb developed playing football on the concrete pitches of FC Dinamo Minsk school. At 17 he signed for FC BATE, a Premier League team just north of Minsk. The next season they won the Championship.
His brother Vyacheslav Hleb is also a footballer who plays for FBK Kaunas and the national team.
Official Aliaksandr Hleb Websitehttp://www.aliaksandr-hleb.de/