Ali Al-Hamadi on breaking through to the Premier League
In the Gentleman's Journal summer issue, Ali Al-Hamadi discusses his upbringing, joining Ipswich Town and becoming the first Iraqi player in the Premier League
In the middle of June, it all suddenly became real for Ali Al-Hamadi. After Ipswich Town’s promotion to the Premier League was secured in May, there had been a wait. Time for a holiday, time to celebrate and relax, and, for Al-Hamadi, time for an operation to fix a groin injury. But then the fixture list was released, and it was time to turn attentions to what was waiting for the team.
“We saw we had Liverpool on the first day and then Manchester City in the next game,” Al-Hamadi remembers. “You’re not going to get a harder start than that. After that, the celebrations were done, it was time to focus on the season.”
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When 22-year-old Al-Hamadi made his Premier League debut this season, it capped off a remarkable story for the young striker. On a professional level, it’s a story that has seen him rise from League Two to the top flight within a season, with spells at six different clubs, from Wycombe and Bromley to Wimbledon and, finally, Ipswich Town. On a personal level, though, it’s a story that takes in his journey from his birth in Iraq to playing in the best league in the world.
Al-Hamadi and his family had to leave Iraq when he was only one, after his father was arrested for taking part in a peaceful protest against Saddam Hussein’s rule. After that, there was a short spell in Jordan before the Al-Hamadi family were reunited in Liverpool’s inner-city Toxteth neighbourhood. Stepping onto the pitch this season made Al-Hamadi the first Iraqi player to ever take part in the Premier League, and the country of his birth still shapes who he is.
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“Regardless of how long I’ve lived here, I’ll always feel like I’m from Iraq,” he says. “That’s my country and that’s where I’m from. I’ve always spoken Arabic with my parents, I’ve al-ways eaten the food, had the cultural upbringing and mannerisms as I was growing up. I don’t thinkI’ve ever lost that.”While his Iraqi heritage is important to Al-Hamadi, his childhood in Liverpool has also shaped who he is. “I’m definitely a bit rough around the edges,” he says. “I grew up in Toxteth, an area that’s not the prettiest. There are a lot of easy ways to get sucked into different lifestyles.” Hecredits his upbringing with keeping him away from those temptations, and football allowed him an escape. “It made me a tougher person,” he says of Toxteth. “Growing up in Liverpool, you have tobe resilient.”Nowadays, Al-Hamadi is able to celebrate his Iraqi roots by playing for the national team. Last year, he stepped out for Iraq in their first official home game for over a decade.
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Unsurprisingly, local fans were desperate to see their team, and the atmosphere was momentous for Al-Hamadi. “It was an indescribable feeling to put on that jersey and sing the national anthem in front of 100,000 people, squeezed into a 70,000-seater stadium,” he says. “The first time I experienced it was one of the maddest experiences of my life. To be out there with your parents watching is a surreal feeling.” At the time, Al-Hamadi was playing for Wimbledon in League Two, where crowds are often below a tenth of those he experienced in Basra.
In many ways, that sums up his journey so far. From Iraq to England and back again, first fleeing war and persecution and now as an international footballer, Al-Hamadi has taken a unique journey to the Premier League. Now that he’s there, he’s got the opportunity of a lifetime, something that he has worked for and fought for for as long as he can remember. “This is something I’ve talked about and thought about sinceI was a kid, and now it’s becoming a reality,” he says.“When you’re in this position, you want to stay there. I don’t want it to pass me by.”
Styling by Zak Maoui
Photography by Otto Masters
Creative Direction by Freya Anderson
Grooming by Paul Donovan
This feature was taken from our Summer 2024 issue. Read more about it here.
Want more interviews? We spend some time with Lucien Laviscount
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