Kevin Keegan’s perm, Sir Bobby Charlton’s comb-over and Ruud Gullit’s dreads are among football’s most memorable haircuts, according to a study.
A poll of 2,000 male football fans has identified the styles from over the years which are still talked about today – including Chris Waddle’s infamous mullet, and Carlos Valderrama’s striking locks.
Other notable trims include Paul Gascoigne’s bleached crop, David Beckham’s iconic mohawk, and the protractor-like haircut from Brazilian footballer Ronaldo in the 2002 World Cup.
Meanwhile, barnets of current players – including Jack Grealish's undercut, Paul Pogba’s coloured fades and Olivier Giroud’s shaved style – have also been voted among the greatest.
The study was commissioned by CopyBet.com, which has created a quiz to test people’s knowledge of famous footballer haircuts.
A spokesman for CopyBet.com said: “It’s great to see football haircuts of the ages, like Kevin Keegan’s perm and Ruud Gullit’s dreads, being mentioned in the sport today.
“Not only that, but also the popularity of superstars such as Paul Pogba coloured fades, and of course Jack Grealish’s popular undercut with his Alice band.”
The study also found one fifth of football fans have attempted to copy the hairstyles of their idols – with David Beckham’s curtains the most popular choice.
Nearly one in five have tried out Cristiano Ronaldo’s tramline undercut, while Jack Grealish’s style has been a popular choice for 17 per cent of fans.
And 16 per cent have even got Freddie Ljungberg’s controversial red mohawk from his days at Arsenal.
When asked why they copy a footballer’s hairstyle, a third of fans (34 per cent) said they fancied something new, while 30 per cent liked the footballer’s sense of style.
Although 28 per cent admitted to going for the haircut after losing a bet.
A further 27 per cent said they copied footballer hairstyles to become more attractive to potential new partners.
Of those who went all in, 83 per cent were pleased with the overall haircut they copied, and 20 per cent have even gone on to copy the same style at least four times.
It also emerged that football fans will spend an average of £43 to copy their favourite footballer's hairstyle.
While a third (33 per cent) of those polled, via OnePoll, think replicating the same haircut as a footballer is all part of being a fan.
And 28 per cent admit they often borrow their style and fashion tips from football stars on a regular basis, with 51 per cent believing they are more stylish now than ever before.
Other ways football fans have copied their heroes include their kits (17 per cent), goal celebrations (15 percent) and clothes (12 per cent).
Around one in ten have even named their child the same as their icon’s offspring.
And a fifth (19 per cent) would be brave enough to get a complete makeover to look exactly like their favourite footballer.
However, 77 per cent of fans said copying a footballer’s haircut is simply a waste of time and money – with David Seaman’s tail, Marouane Fellaini’s afro, and Edgar Davids’ dreads among the least favourite haircuts to copy.
The 1970s was voted the worst decade for football haircuts, followed by the 1980s.
The spokesman for CopyBet.com added: “It looks like some football fans will go to extreme lengths to copy the football greats – whether that’s their hairstyle, looks or even name.
“This just goes to show how popular the sport is and how far it has grown over the years. Who knows what styles would be popular over the next decade.”
TOP 20 MOST MEMORABLE HAIRCUTS IN FOOTBALL:
- Kevin Keegan's perm
- Sir Bobby Charlton's comb-over
- Ruud Gullit's dreads
- David Seaman's tail
- David Beckham's mohawk
- Chris Waddle's mullet
- Marouane Fellaini's afro
- Edgar Davids' dreads
- David Beckham's cornrows
- Freddie Ljungberg's red mohawk
- Paul Pogba's coloured fades
- Zlatan Ibrahimović's hair bun
- Paul Gascoigne's bleached crop
- Brazilian Ronaldo's protractor-like haircut
- Carlos Valderrama's locks
- Jack Grealish's undercut (with Alice band)
- David Beckham's curtains
- Gareth Bale's mane
- Ronaldinho's long locks
- Bacary Sagna's blonde braids
TOP 10 MOST COPIED FOOTBALL HAIRCUTS:
- David Beckham's curtains
- Cristiano Ronaldo's sexy tramline undercut
- Brazilian Ronaldo's protractor-like haircut
- Jack Grealish's undercut (with Alice band)
- Kevin Keegan's perm
- Zlatan Ibrahimović's hair bun
- Freddie Ljungberg's red mohawk
- Paul Gascoigne's bleached crop
- Sir Bobby Charlton's comb-over
- Olivier Giroud's half-shaved hairstyle
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