When Alexis scored twice against Bournemouth last month, there were two individuals he couldn’t wait to go home to after the match: his dogs, Atom and Humber.
The golden retrievers have become a big part of Alexis’ life since he was playing for Barcelona, and the Chile forward has revealed why they are so important in helping him relax off the pitch.
“My dogs are very special for me,” he told Arsenal Player. “I appreciate their positive energy, especially after I have played a football game. Sharing my time with them makes me feel relaxed. I talk to them even though they have no clue about what I say!
“They are great friends,” Alexis added. “They have been together since they were very young and they get on with each other really well. I have their names written in my football boots. Atom’s name is in the right one and Humber’s is in the left shoe.
“Whenever we play away I leave Atom and Humber with my friends. I miss them a lot because they give me a lot of positive vibrations. They look at me with shiny eyes when I wake up every morning, I just love the fact they want to play with me all the time.”
How did Alexis’ dogs get their names?
Alexis has revealed why he decided to name his dogs Atom and Humber.
The golden retrievers have become internet sensations after the Chile forward launched an Instagram account for them in August, which amassed more than 13,000 followers in the first day.
Atom and Humber have even appeared in television adverts and on billboards in Santiago, and Alexis explained how he chose the names for his superstar dogs.
“Atom is one of the characters in a movie called Real Steel,” the 27-year-old told Arsenal Player. “Atom the robot is very old and apparently useless but when he starts fighting he beats the best robots in the world. I like the movie so much that I thought I would call my first dog Atom.
“My other dog Humber reminds me of my brother Humberto. My brother is a very sweet guy, just like Humber is. Both of them enjoy staying home or watching football on TV. That’s why I decided to call my other dog Humber.
“I just had the idea of creating an Instagram account for them so people could follow what they do,” Alexis said. “The thing is both became famous in Chile after starring in Master Dog’s advert.
“I upload videos or pictures to their accounts whenever I can and I even saw their pictures on billboards when I went to Chile. They were smiling for the advert – what great acting! It really made me laugh.”
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