Andrei Arshavin - Early Years

Early Years

Andrey Sergeyevich Arshavin was born in Leningrad, now called Saint Petersburg on 29 May 1981. Andrey's father Sergey played as an amateur footballer. Arshavin survived an accident that could have potentially killed him when he was hit by a car as a child. His upbringing was made a lot harder when his parents divorced when he was aged 12 with Andrey having to sleep on the floor of a cramped flat with his mother. It was his father who persuaded him to pursue a career in football after his own failure to become a professional football player.

Arshavin began playing football at an early age and at seven years of age, he was enrolled in the Smena football academy of Zenit, his hometown club. As a schoolboy before football became his sole focus. Arshavin's father died of heart failure at the age of 40. He has written three books including one called ‘555 Questions and Answers on Women, Money, Politics and Football’. Arshavin also has a degree in Fashion Design. He often misbehaved at school,"I behaved badly at school. When I was in the second form, I tore down the registering journal of the class". It was this incident described by Arshavin that saw him expelled. He was a talented draughts player.