Raised by French parents in the village of Froges near Grenoble, Olivier grew up alongside his older brother, Romain. Olivier always seemed destined for stardom, following in the footsteps of Romain, who had played at the under-15 and under-17 levels with future stars like Thierry Henry, David Trezeguet, and Nicolas Anelka. However, Romain’s career as a professional footballer was cut short as he chose to pursue a career as a nutritionist instead.
Determined not to give up, Olivier Giroud took a risk by restarting his career in a lower French league rather than remaining on the bench in the higher leagues. His perseverance paid off, and he eventually became a legend for both club and country, earning a reputation as a likeable and handsome character.
This is the story of a French football legend who has cited David Beckham as an inspiration for his good looks and style.
Olivier Giroud: From Humble Beginnings to French Football Legend.
Yes, everyone knows about his abilities, but not many have read Olivier Giroud’s Biography, which is quite interesting. Now, without further ado, let’s dive into the meat and potatoes of the Charm Striker’s story.
Olivier Giroud Childhood Story – Early Life and Family Background:
For Biography starters, Olivier Giroud was born on the 30th day of September 1986 in Chambéry, south-eastern France.
Meet Olivier Giroud in his childhood; he looks very adorable.
Since his childhood (right from age 6), He became passionate about football thanks to his elder brother, Romain Giroud, who is ten years his senior.
Olivier was engulfed with fears of failure even before starting his career. This happened as he saw an abrupt end to his brother’s career.
His brother just decided to quit football to become a nutritionist. Roman disappointed his parents as he failed to set a good example.
Apart from career fears, little Olivier was also scared of the 1980s comedy character ‘Alf’ when he was a youngster.
He once talked about how his older brothers used to regularly taunt him about his fear of the much-loved sitcom star.
Olivier’s football dreams were both inspired and tested by elder brother Romain’s abrupt career switch. Amidst this, a youthful fear of ‘Alf’ added a light-hearted chapter to his childhood tales.
Despite Alf’s friendly figure, young Olivier wasn’t interested in the creature’s caring nature.
When asked about the thing he dreaded most, Giroud said:
‘My brother was got used to teasing me about the kid’s TV character called Alf. I was so afraid of him because he was so ugly.
My brother used to say, Be careful; Alf is going to get you tonight!’ He went too far with it!
After much motivational advice, young Olivier decided to give football a try. This he did in order to bring the lost glory back into his household, which was once regarded as “a family of footballers.”Â
Olivier Giroud Biography – Career in Summary:
Olivier Giroud was raised in the nearby village of Froges, near Grenoble. He started his football career playing for his hometown club, Olympique Club de Froges.
Olivier Giroud’s Early Life with Career Football.
Olivier spent six years training at the club before joining the professional club Grenoble at the age of 13.
Having witnessed what happened to Romain (his older brother) and being sent on loan to Istres in the third tier, it was quite a knock-back when his club put him up for sale, saying that he did not have the qualities to play with the elite.
Olivier Giroud was very scared of this. In his words… “I had to take a risk to restart in a lower league,” he says. “But I never gave up.”
Olivier embraced his challenges and turned them into sources of pride and motivation. He pushed himself to excel and in 2008, joined Tours. By his second season with Tours, he emerged as the division’s top scorer with 21 goals, which led to his transfer to the top-flight side Montpellier.
Young Olivier Giroud in his early career years.
Giroud once again became the top scorer with 21 goals in the 2011–12 season, securing the club’s first-ever Ligue 1 title before his transfer to Arsenal. The rest of his biography is history.
Olivier Giroud Family Life:
Reports have revealed that Olivier Giroud comes from an average family background. Little is known about his father and mother, as they have decided to totally stay away from the media.
About Olivier Giroud’s Brother:
As mentioned earlier, Olivier has an older brother named Romain, who also pursued football.
Romain was part of the Auxerre academy and represented France at the under-15 and under-17 levels alongside players like David Trezeguet, Thierry Henry (an idol to the likes of Cody Gakpo and Ollie Watkins), and Nicolas Anelka. However, he opted to forgo a potential professional football career to pursue studies and later became a nutritionist.
Olivier recalls, “He trained at Auxerre and was considered a promising talent, but he never pursued a professional career in football. Instead, he returned to studying and pursued a career in nutrition.”
About Jennifer Giroud – Olivier Giroud’s Wife:
Starting off, Giroud was not single at the time of writing his bio. The French footballer has been married to Jennifer since 2011.
Olivier Giroud and his Wife Jennifer.
Oliver Giroud Children:
Their daughter Jade was born on June 18, 2013. The French striker also has other children named Aria and Evan Giroud.
Olivier’s daughter, Jade Giroud, made him realize the challenges of parenting. Olivier, who was not accustomed to children, had to devote more time to promoting and supporting his infant daughter’s physical, emotional, social, and intellectual development.
In November 2015, Olivier and Jennifer Giroud formalized Jennifer’s pregnancy on the red carpet of the Global Gift Gala in London.
On March 7, 2016, Jennifer gave birth to a baby boy named Evan. Giroud dedicates his goals to his son, Evan, whom he is so fond of.
Olivier Giroud Cheating Story – The Scandal:
In February 2014, a scandal-tainted the image of Olivier Giroud. It involves the publication of compromising photos in the English daily newspaper The Sun.
This image reveals an extramarital relationship between Olivier Giroud and Celia Kay, a lingerie model. In February 2014, it was reported that Giroud admitted to having cheated on his wife with model Celia Kay.
February 2014: Olivier Giroud faced public scrutiny with The Sun revealing photos suggesting an affair with model Celia Kay, a revelation he later confirmed.
Following the incident, Giroud apologized to his wife but maintained that he had not committed adultery. Wenger chose not to comment, stating he wanted to “respect his privacy.”
Celia Kay responded to her critics on social media at her own pace.
Both Giroud and his wife settled the cause, and there wasn’t any information about their divorce. Raheem Sterling, Edinson Cavani and Anthony Martial have been involved in cheating scandals just like Olivier.
Olivier Giroud Handsomeness:
Giroud is known in France for his likeable and handsome demeanour. In 2014, he became the face of Hugo Boss’s Boss Bottled men’s fragrance.
In February 2015, Giroud was voted the ‘Hottest Premier League Player.’ In an interview with GQ, he cited David Beckham as an inspiration for his style and looks, calling Beckham’s look “iconic.”
Olivier Giroud Religion:
Giroud is a Catholic and has a tattoo on his right arm with a verse from Psalm 23 in Latin: “Dominus regit me et nihil mihi deerit,” which means “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”
He describes himself as a “very believing person.” Although he doesn’t cross himself before games, he says, “I do a little prayer in my heart.”
Bromance with Koscielny:
Giroud and Koscielny were teammates at Tours FC during the 2008-09 season. They were an inseparable pair, always together in the dressing room, on the bus, in team photos, during training, playing tennis, and even at dinner.
After moving to Arsenal, Giroud expressed his excitement, calling Arsenal an amazing club with a great French coach, and mentioned that his “bro” LoLo (Koscielny) was playing there too.
Koscielny is affectionately known as “Bosscielny” or “Kos the Boss” among his teammates and fans.
Olivier Giroud Biography – Style of Play:
Giroud is versatile in offensive roles but typically plays as a striker or centre-forward, occasionally being used as a second striker.
Recognized for his diligence, Giroud is noted for his consistent goal-scoring ability, physical stature, strength, precise heading, powerful shooting, adept ball control, and effective link-up play. Additionally, he is celebrated for his strategic runs towards the front post, often outwitting defenders.
One of Giroud’s standout moments was his incredible ‘scorpion kick,’ which was a contender for the Goal of the 2016/2017 Season.
Reviewing Giroud’s career statistics reveals his consistent play across his previous clubs without serious injuries. To maintain such fitness levels, one would need the endurance and resilience of players like Park Ji-Sung, Dirk Kuyt, and an ox (the animal, not Oxlade-Chamberlain).
Boy Story:
Arsenal’s French international Giroud became a fan favourite after joining the Gunners in 2012. Lots of fans have imitated his hairstyle. Some have gotten into trouble, like the kid below.
Giroud’s Arsenal debut sees fans, young and old, adopting his signature hairstyle – with some amusing outcomes.
The nine-year-old boy was once banned from the classroom because he got his hair cut like Arsenal star Olivier Giroud.
Danny Purdy was sent home in tears after being told his new short, back, and sides hairstyle breached school rules.
His mum, Sarah, threatened to withdraw him from Brooklands Middle School in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, altogether. The Mum-of-two, Sarah, 33, had to ask the school for materials so she could tutor Danny from home until the row is resolved.
She said: “We genuinely didn’t think a haircut like Danny’s was breaking the rules. As long as children wear their school uniforms correctly and work hard at school, I really don’t see what the problem is.
I most certainly won’t stand by and watch them make my son feel like an outcast and exclude him from lessons. I always thought we think with our brains and not our hair, but clearly not.”
However, headteacher Steven Harrington-Williams defended the school’s stance. He said: “What happened was he came into school with a large portion of his hair shaved like Olivier Giroud. It was almost to the scalp, while the rest was long. We don’t expect that sort of haircut in the school.”
Danny Purdy was later recalled after shaving off his Olivier Giroud hairstyle and a lesson session on hairstyle rules for school kids.
Final Note:
Please stay tuned for more Biographies of French Football Players. The history of Lautaro Martinez and Cyle Larin will excite you. Thank you for taking the time to read our version of Olivier Giroud’s Biography. We care about accuracy and fairness in our quest to deliver you Childhood Stories.
