Footballers may receive massive salaries and earn the adulation of millions of fans but there’s no doubt that this comes with more pressure than almost any of us can imagine. So it’s not surprising that many players need a hobby that acts as a release valve to give them time away from the game.
Footballers and their unexpected hobbies
Sure, playing golf or video games are two of the most obvious ways that many of the stars get away from it, not to mention playing cards on the team bus. But there are also a number of players with rather more unusual pastimes that provide the escape that they need – and here are just five of the most unexpected of them.
Andrey Arshavin – fashion design
He may not be the world’s biggest advocate of women’s rights, but that’s not to say that he isn’t in touch with his own feminine side. In fact Arshavin has a degree in fashion design and away from the pitch there’s nothing he likes more than to get out a sketch pad and design clothes. In fact he’s even gone into business with his wife to launch their own range – so watch out Victoria Beckham.
Cristiano Ronaldo
It’s “eyes down” for the multiple Ballon D’Or winning footballer. But it’s a very different kind of ball he likes to watch as he indulges his passion for bingo, sites like Wink Bingo mean he can conveniently play in his spare time or even while he is on the coach to away games. Apparently it all started when he was given a bingo DVD for Christmas one year and went on from there. He’s also been reported as saying it’s helped him to learn English – but it’s not known how fluent he is in the language of the game itself.
Eric Cantona – poet
Even in his playing days Cantona seemed to be far removed from the football mainstream with his crazy quotes including his most famous one comparing journalist to seagulls following a trawler, not to mention his forthright approach to answering critical fans. But he seems to have mellowed since retirement and is a keen poet and writer, not to mention a part-time actor too.
Theo Walcott
Walcott is another player who likes to put pen to paper – but in his case it’s children’s stories about a boy called TJ who loves playing football. He’s written four titles in all so far including “TJ and the Hat Trick” and “TJ and the Winning Goal”. Fortunately they’ve all been very well received by children and their parents alike.
Moritz Volz
Next time the producers of The Great British Bake Off are looking for stars for a celebrity special they should come knocking at Moritz Voltz’s door. He likes to unwind before a big match by baking a cake – and he even decides what kind it’s going to be depending on the opposition. For example, for Man United he favours banana bread with a dusting of green tea but for other more rugged and physical opponents he would bake a carrot cake with nuts in.
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