Angel di Maria is an Argentine footballer who was born on February 14, 1988 in Rosario, Argentina. Di Maria is primarily a right winger, but he can also play as a left winger and an attacking midfielder. The French club, Paris Saint Germain, currently employs the left-footed player.

There’s a lot to know about this talented footballer that we’ve covered below with these 8 unknown facts about him.

8 Things You Didn’t Know About ^[1]

3. Once Close To A Near Death Experience

The winger is on the verge of joining Manchester United, but did you know that he came dangerously close to death? When the Di Maria family had just moved into their new home, the house infrastructure began to fail. He fell into a well but fortunately, he survived

4. Fulfiling His Father’s Dream

Angel’s father was a reserve player for River Plate when a knee injury ended his career. He is now living out his father’s dream. And angel considers his father the better player than himself as he told in an interview. ^[2]

5. Has A Phrase Tattooed On His Forearm

Angel Di Maria and six of his best friends had the phrase ‘Nacer en El Perdriel fué y será lo mejor que me pasó en la vida’ tattooed on his left forearm before leaving for Benfica in 2007. The literal translation is: “To be born in El Perdriel was and will be the best thing that has ever happened to me in my life.”

6. His first club paid for 35 soccer balls for him

That’s correct. Rosario Central paid Torito 35 soccer balls to bring Di Maria to their club when he was only four years old. ^[3]

7. Connecting Bridge Between The Real Madrid Attack And Defend

Real Madrid may have James Rodriguez as a viable replacement for Angel Di Maria, but the Argentine’s work ethic will be missed. He was the link between Real Madrid’s attack and defense, constantly running up and down the field, winning balls and creating chances.

8. His Interesting Nick Name

Di Mara’s slender frame has earned him the nickname “Fideo,” which translates to “noodle” in Spanish. ^[4]