For fans of the Zenit team, the player of this club Alexander Kerzhakov is well known. His career did not develop without obstacles, but, having overcome them, he became the unsurpassed scorer of “Zenith”, a real idol of fans, coach of the youth team and Master of Sports (2007).
Childhood
Kerzhakov - a native of the Leningrad region, who was born in late November 1982 in the town of Kingisepp. We can say that Alexander Anatolyevich Kerzhakov began his football career in early childhood, like many successful athletes. Joined to football by his father, an active lover, he did not even suspect about his bright future in this sport.
His dad, Anatoly Rafailovich, who at one time devoted a short period of his life to the football team of the 2nd league “Chemist”, actively coached his son on his own almost from the day when little Sasha began to walk.
Already at the age of 11, Alexander was pleased to be admitted to the Specialized Children and Youth Sports School of the Olympic Reserve at the Zenit Club and settled in a sports boarding school at the club. His coach Sergei Romanov had no doubt that a bright future awaits the gifted boy. Having successfully graduated from a sports school, Alexander joined the Svyatorets team and played in it for several years. This club gave the young footballer the opportunity to become the best striker of the 2000 preseason tournament.
Career
The year 2000 was significant in the life of a very young and little-known football player Kerzhakov. Kerzhakov began the new millennium, playing already for the Zenith club, his favorite team since childhood, where the club's coach invited a talented guy. However, it turned out that Alexander spent most of the matches in reserve. After changing the coach to Valery Gazzayev, the young striker received a little more freedom, immediately pleased the fans and the coach with the first goals.
Being a very assertive and characteristic young man, by the year 2001 he became one of the thirty-three best Russian football players and fell into the main team. In the same year, Alexander won back the bronze in the domestic championship. Three years later, Zenit is already a silver medalist, thanks to Kerzhakov.
In 2004, Kerzhakov more than once became the most successful scorer in Euro cups. With the arrival of the new coach Dick Advocaat to the team, Alexander again began to increasingly hold matches in reserve. Perhaps even then he was considering moving to the Sevilla club of Spain.
In the new team Kerzhakov again proved to be excellent, bringing victories and scoring goals, having won bronze in the championship of Spain. 2006 for Alexander brought not only a medal, but also the title of ZMS of Russia.
In 2008, the football player returns to his homeland, joining the Dynamo Moscow team and in 2009 demonstrates his skill by scoring in every second game. By the beginning of 2010, the scorer triumphantly returned to his native club Zenit and brought his team the Champions title. By 2013, it became the top scorer in the history of football in Russia, with 208 successfully scored goals behind its back.
Kerzhakov completes his career in 2017 with a large number of won titles and brilliantly played games. Currently Kerzhakov is an expert on the Match TV channel.
