There are players, past and present, who are instantly recognised by their hair.
Recall Edgar Davids and his dreadlocks, Carlos Valderrama and those blonde curls, and Jack Grealish’s long, floppy, slicked-back style.
For some time, Mohamed Salah was also part of this group. Think of a silhouette of the Liverpool forward and it is like no other — the frizzy hair and matching beard are iconic at Anfield and intrinsic to his public image. Well, at least they used to be.
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Salah has returned to pre-season training without his trademark afro and now sports a shaven head. YouTube, TikTok and other social media platforms have been awash with comments as the radical change has provoked widespread discussion before the new season.
“The Premier League isn’t ready for hair transplant Salah,” observers across social media have said, suggesting that his new hairline could spark an uplift on the pitch. But can a haircut have an impact on performance?
Salah in pre-season training with his sharp new look (John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Sports psychologists consulted for this article say a haircut could boost a player’s self-confidence, and also transmit that energy to spectators.
“Research has shown that self-esteem and body image can affect performance in athletes,” says Zeynep Atha, a lead sports psychologist at Sheffield Hallam University.
GO DEEPERThe art of the football sockCal Newsome, the owner of Bull & Co Barber Club, is a hair stylist who works with footballers. “It sounds a bit cheesy but a sharp, fresh, haircut gives footballers the confidence that they will play better and to their full potential,” he says.
“Footballers are generally more particular about their hair than regular customers. They want a weekly cut and for it to be exactly how they ask — particularly if they know they are going to be on TV.”
Salah — the most recognised Arab sportsman in the world — is no stranger to the limelight so the attention will not be a new experience. His new look will surprise a few, though. We have already seen the shock on Arne Slot’s face when the new Liverpool manager welcomed Salah back to Liverpool’s AXA Training Centre and pointed to his own bald head in reference to what he was seeing in front of him.
"Same as mine.” 🧑🦲
Arne Slot welcoming Mo Salah into Team Bald after Liverpool players return for preseason training. 🤣🔴pic.twitter.com/Xa9LD0J9RK
— Men in Blazers (@MenInBlazers) July 11, 2024
Wider viewers of the Premier League will also take note when domestic football returns next month.
Salah is not the first player to make a statement change. Marouane Fellaini cutting off his distinctive curly locks as a Manchester United player in 2018 was perhaps the most eye-catching. It took a while to get used to Romelu Lukaku without long hair, too.
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But what typically follows an appearance shake-up is a “before and after” comparison.
Superstition is also an element that needs to be factored in.
Not so long ago, one of Salah’s Liverpool team-mates was too afraid to change his hairstyle in case he suffered a drop off in form. The player, who shall remain anonymous at the request of those close to him, eventually did mix up his appearance but only after months of deliberating.
“Many athletes have some sort of personal ritual, routine or superstition, and haircuts can be part of these,” Atha continues.“Adhering to such rituals can provide psychological comfort and confidence that help athletes cope with uncertainty and things that are uncontrollable.
“In today’s sport culture, we have seen athletes eating an exact food or shaving before the games because the idea is that consistency there will lend a hand to consistency of performances.”
Atha says a drastic hair restyle could have an impact on an athlete’s self-esteem but may also represent a “welcoming of a new approach and new beginnings”. Liverpool supporters will hope it proves to be the latter for Salah.
Jose Mourinho certainly felt that way when, as Chelsea manager in the summer of 2006, he said his shaven head showed he was “ready to go to war” with the rest of the Premier League in hunt of more silverware.
Mourinho sporting his new trim in 2006 (Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC Via Getty Images)
Another sports psychologist, who spoke to The Athletic anonymously to protect relationships, pointed to the former Wales international Aaron Ramsey as an example.
“I remember when he dyed his hair yellow before the 2016 European Championships, which was a really bold move from someone who was fundamentally an introverted player,” he says. “He was making a statement to stand out for his country and what happened next? He made it into the team of tournament.”
The summer period is an opportunity to instigate change.
Hair transplant procedures are popular around this time of the year, too. Wayne Rooney, Cesc Fabregas and Andros Townsend have all undergone treatment.
Nowadays footballers express themselves more freely through their image and hair style, but it has not always been that way.
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David Beckham, who was arguably as famous for his hair as his football, went through almost every style but the most controversial choice was when he shaved off his signature blonde curtains in 2000. It became a national obsession and schools were even forced to ban children from copying the style.
Beckham and Roy Keane celebrate at Newcastle in 2000 (StuForster /Allsport)
Beckham has since said that he “didn’t do it to create attention”, but the former England captain would have known that everything he did during his career whipped up public interest. The haircut generated more scrutiny around his performance, too. As his Manchester United team-mate Roy Keane said at the time: “He just better be able to back it up on a Saturday.”
Since then, many other players have taken the lead. Austrian Paul Scharner was a pioneer for change when he started dying his hair during his time at Wigan Athletic and West Bromwich Albion between 2006 and 2012. “I wanted to stand out and entertain,” he explained.
It’s not uncommon to see wild styles, either. Paul Pogba certainly had his fair share at Manchester United and Juventus. Phil Foden also used Paul Gascoigne as inspiration for his dyed blonde look at Euro 2020 — a style that went viral.
Usually a big change like that takes some planning but the barber, Sheldon Edwards, also known as HD Cutz, explained: “I took a 30-minute masterclass in the hair shop, they gave me the dye and I turned up in Manchester and boom, the whole world is talking about it.
“There are even people today who talk to me about Phil Foden blonde.”
Foden modelled his haircut on that of Gascoigne (Eddie Keogh – The FA/The FA via Getty Images)
Newsome says the inspiration for the most radical change in hairstyle he has instigated recently also came on the spot.
After years of the same hairstyle, the Aston Villa captain John McGinn asked for a new look.“I was chatting to Danny Ings (now at West Ham United) and we both suggested that John should buzz his hair off as he was about to jump in my chair,” he adds.
“Without hesitation he agreed: ‘Let’s do it”. He isn’t vain when it comes to his hair, so it so it shows that some players are willing and happy to take a risk in switching up their style.”
GO DEEPER‘You look good, you feel good and you play good’ – how players stay a cut above(Top photos: Getty Images)
Gregg Evans is a Staff Writer for The Athletic covering Liverpool. Previously he reported on Aston Villa and spent over a decade at the Birmingham Mail covering West Midlands football. His time with Villa included the drop into the Championship and then an incredible return to European football. He also covers golf. Follow Gregg on Twitter @greggevans40