Did You Know? 5 facts about Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Soccer Football - Premier League - Arsenal vs Burnley - Emirates Stadium, London, Britain - May 6, 2018 Arsenal's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang celebrates scoring their first goal REUTERS/Ian Walton EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
Shoot! would like to wish Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang many happy returns as the Arsenal forward celebrates his 29th birthday this evening!
The Gabon international, who has 56 international caps for his country, scored 10 goals and provided four assists in just 14 appearances for The Gunners last term.
The rapid striker only joined the Premier League club back in January following his reported club-record £56m switch from Bundesliga outfit Borussia Dortmund.
Aubameyang had been continuously linked with a lucrative transfer to La Liga giants Real Madrid, after netting a remarkable 141 goals in 213 outings overall for Dortmund, winning a German Cup and two German Supercups, but he opted to become one of legendary manager Arsene Wenger’s final signings at the Emirates Stadium in the New Year.
Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
He will now be working hard over the summer, whilst watching the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals in Russia, preparing for the 2018-19 campaign under new boss Unai Emery in North London.
To celebrate the Gabonese star’s latest milestone, here is Shoot!‘s five facts you may not know about the Gunners striker…
Record-Breaker
Aubameyang became the first-ever Gabonese player to represent The Gunners after making his debut against Everton in February 2018.
The forward also became the first Gabonese star to play in the Bundesliga, and scored his country’s first-ever goal in the Olympic Games in London 2012.
Gabon Goalmachine
Aubameyang is Gabon’s joint all-time leading goalscorer, with 23 goals from his 56 appearances.
He is currently tied for the honour with Théodore Nzue Nguema, though the former Braga and Angers forward is now retired, so Aubameyang is incredibly likely to add to his personal tally.
Internationally In-Demand
Aubameyang was eligible to play for France, Italy and Spain at international level, but opted to represent Gabon and follow in his father Pierre’s footsteps.
Summer switch to St James’ Park?
Newcastle United’s DeAndre Yedlin in action with Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Aubameyang could have become a Premier League player back in 2012!
Newcastle United were understood to be keen on signing the then AS Saint-Etienne striker in the summer of 2012, but he rejected their approach to stay with the Ligue 1 club.
The following year, Newcastle were after the Gabon striker’s signature again, but Aubameyang declined the move once more, and instead opted for Dortmund thanks to his father’s advice.
Comic Book Crazy
Aubameyang is a big fan of comic books and has pulled off some Marvel-lous goal celebrations in the past.
He wore a Spiderman mask for Saint-Etienne, as well as teaming up with Marco Reus at Borussia Dortmund to don the Batman and Robin masks in the past.
Surely it is only a matter of time before he celebrates like Batman inside the Emirates Stadium!