sport news Football's wackiest haircuts: Paul Pogba's wild experiments, Ronaldo Nazario on ... trends now
Footballers and hair - it could be the subject of volumes of literature.
Has so much psychologising been drawn out of so little? Pundits circle above like hawks and will swoop with conclusions and condemnations if they see a haircut out of line.
Paul Pogba is the prime example, with football's thinkers connecting the performance with his feet to what's on the top of his head.
Mail Sport isn't here to do that, but merely bask in the wacky, the original, the uncharted territory.
From Pogba to Carlos Valderrama and Taribo West, here are nine footballers - from a longlist of many - who went off-piste with their hair.
Ryan GiggsRyan Giggs has been back in the headlines recently as his girlfriend Zara Charles is pregnant and has been seen out and about in Cheshire.
The former Manchester United star isn't particularly well-known for having outlandish haircuts, but an old effort of his resurfaced recently and entranced the eye.
It shows Giggs sporting a bleach-blonde helmet of hair in the summer of 2003, having won the Premier League title that season.
The unique looked had eyebrows bouncing up across the land at the time, unfamiliar with the then-29-year-old donning that hair colour.
He was in the midst of his time as player at United, where he lifted 13 Premier League titles, two Champions Leagues and four FA Cups, so frankly, he was above caring what people thought.
This old photo of Ryan Giggs recently resurfaced and he looks unrecognisable. He dyed his hair blonde in 2003
No list of crazy footballer haircuts would be valid without the inclusion of Paul Pogba, whose life mission has seemingly been to push boundaries up top.
His list of haircuts over the years could fill enough neon signs to light up an entire city district, ranging from bright blue to fiery to popping pink to lurid green.
His experiments above board have invoked the ire of critics throughout the ages, who connect his seeming obsession with image with what they saw as an occasional dispassion on the pitch.
While his form has flitted around as much as his hair colour, he has every right to do what he wants with it. Cue the leopard spots.
He may not play again until nearly the age of 35 after receiving a four-year ban for doping in February.
Paul Pogba has always been a pioneer with his plumage, pushing boundaries with new colours
Few players have been as bold with their hairstyle selections as Pogba has been over the years
Ah, what would football be without Mario Balotelli, the man whose Cheshire mansion was set ablaze after fireworks were set off in his bathroom - by his friend, he claimed.
The former Manchester City star has had some bold haircuts over the years.
There was the 'Mohican to end all Mohicans' as Mail Sport called it in 2011, which promopted a bewildered look from City boss Roberto Mancini.
But there was then a much more dramatic Mohican in 2018, complete with braids.
He has also switched it up with zig-zag patterns on the side of his head and a Sisqo-inspired blonde mohawk in 2012, which the Huffington post termed a 'hair disaster'.
Mario Balotelli got some quizzical looks when he arrived at Manchester City training with a Mohican
At the 1998 World Cup, the entire Romania team decided to dye their hair blonde to rouse team spirit after qualifying from the groups with a game to spare.
They had already beaten England and Colombia, but then drew to Tunisia and lost Croatia in the last 16. Manager Anghel Iordanescu claimed they had 'angered God.'
He had been forced to shave his hair by the team after their two wins, but sneakily covered his head with a cap.
Their blonde line-up photo was an iconic moment in World Cup history.
That was the golden age of Romanian football, with the nation qualifying for three consecutive World Cups and led by Gheorghe Hagi, the 'Maradona of the Carpathians'.
The Romania team decided to dye their hair bleach blonde at the 1998 World Cup
Bastien Hery is
