Professional footballers spend a lot of their time playing, training, and preparing for matches. But, they still have downtime, and while they might spend a lot of this time with family and friends, it is also a good opportunity to unwind and participate in favorite pastimes. With the world at their feet, it isn’t surprising that some footballers have unique and even unusual hobbies.
Gerard Pique
The Spanish defender is known to have a love of poker and regularly partakes in offline and online games. Online poker has become a popular addition to fast withdrawal casinos thanks to its competitive nature and mainstream media coverage. Withdrawal speed is an important factor for most players when choosing a casino. Although that may not be as important a factor to the former Barcelona defender, who has an estimated net worth of $80 million.
Christiano Ronaldo
Ronaldo is another footballer who is known to enjoy poker, and that’s not the only game he partakes in. Ronaldo is said to have used bingo as a means of helping improve his English skills. He also has a number of partnerships with online gambling and betting sites that have helped further cement his name in modern culture.
David De Gea
A lot of footballers are known to enjoy playing video games. It gives them a method to wind down and relax after games and between training sessions, and is especially beneficial when stuck in hotel rooms traveling. David de Gea founded the Rebels Gaming eSports team and is known to play a host of video games including League of Legends and Valorant as part of the team.
Axel Tuanzebe
Alex Tuanzebe, who once played for Manchester United before moving to Ipswich, is a lover of classic board games. Specifically, he enjoys playing Hungry Hungry Hippos and once held the world record for the fastest time to clear the game. It took him 17.36 seconds. This has now been surpassed, however, and the current world record stands at 11.47 seconds.
Phil Foden
Phil Foden is a lover of fishing and credits his enjoyment to his dad, Phil Foden Senior. Foden has said that fishing is a somewhat unusual hobby for younger footballers, saying 95% of players don’t enjoy the activity. However, he said it offers a good method of resting the legs while also enjoying some downtime away from the game.
Ben Foster
Former Premier League goalkeeper Ben Foster is well known for coming out of retirement to help former club Wrexham get back into the football league. He subsequently signed an extension to his playing deal, but again retired, returning to his very popular football podcast. Foster is also a keen cyclist, which is something he regularly discusses on his podcast channel.
Alisson Becker
Liverpool shot-stopper Alisson Becker is known to be a fan of playing guitar and even performed with fellow teammates Dominik Szobszlai and Missy Bo Kearns at a secret gig to unveil the team’s third shirt. You can find video footage of the gig on YouTube.
Wilfried Zaha
Wilfried Zaha not only plays football but also has a strong entrepreneurial spirit and a strong love for fashion. He has combined these loves by creating the Long Live Studios fashion brand. The label was started in 2015 and he has said he wants his fashion brand to live on after him.
Aaron Ramsdale
Dog walking is known to be good for relaxation and it can also help people keep in reasonable shape, which might explain player Aaron Ramsale’s love of his four-legged friends. Arsenal player Aaron Ramsdale loves his dogs, and you can see videos of him training his own dogs and meeting with other trainers and trainee dogs on YouTube.