There aren’t many superlatives left to describe Wigan Athletic’s number one goalkeeper.
His outstanding debut season on loan from rivals Bolton Wanderers earned him the title of Player of the Season for 2010/2011 and if seven clean sheets in that campaign wasn’t enough, his first permanent year at the club saw him go one better with a total of eight from 38 games.
The sure fire fan-favourite is one of the top keepers in the Barclays Premier League and along with his shot-stopping ability and diverse distribution play, he is a king amongst men when it comes to saving penalties.
In the 2011/2012 season Al Habsi saved penalties from Carlos Tevez, Kevin Davies, HeidarHelguson and Charlie Adam, the latter earning Latics a 0-0 draw in December 2011 at the DW Stadium.
The Omani international captain has had two seasons to remember at the DW and his form towards the end of the season when hand-in-hand with that of the whole team, conceding just 10 goals in the final 11 games of the season.
Al Habsi's capturing of the fans’ hearts earned him another accolade this season as he was voted as Away Player of the Season by the Wigan Athletic Supporters’ Club.
Before moving to Latics on loan, Al Habsi had four years at Bolton making just 10 appearances in the Premier League and ironically making his league debut against Latics.
His move to Bolton occurred as a result of securing a work permit during his impressive three year spell in Norway with Lyn Oslo where he played 62 times.
On the international scene, Al Habsi is the most popular and respected player for his country and this was highlighted during Latics trip to the Arabian Peninsula when he was welcomed something akin to a Hollywood celebrity.
Having made his debut for the Oman under 19s at the age of just 17, Al Habsi was gone on to have a glittering career for his nation claiming multiple appearances in the World Cup Qualifying stage, Asian Nations and the Gulf Cup.
The latter has been a hot-bed for success for the keeper, who has won the competitions Best Goalkeeper award on four separate occasions.
If you want to keep updated with Ali, you can follow him on Twitter @AliAlHabsi.