8 former Premier League stars who look completely unrecognisable after retiring

During their careers, Premier League footballers must stick to strict diets and training regimes to keep them in peak physical shape in order to compete at the highest level.

This means that, for many former players, retirement offers the chance to indulge in certain aspects of life that they could not enjoy while they were playing.

Whether this means being able to drink alcohol more freely or eat a less healthy diet, not all players have kept in the same shape since they hung up their boots.

So, here are eight former Premier League stars who look unrecognisable after retiring from playing.

Marc Overmars

Dutch winger Marc Overmars spent three years in the Premier League in the late 1990s after joining Arsenal from Ajax in 1997.

The diminutive wide man scored 36 times for the Gunners and won a league and cup double in his first season in north London.

Since hanging up his boots in 2011, Overmars has filled out considerable and partnered a new slicked back hairstyle with grey stubble to leave him almost unrecognisable from his Arsenal days.

He could soon return to the Premier League, though, having been reported as a target for Newcastle United to appoint director of football.

Davor Suker

Another former Arsenal player, Croatian striker Davor Suker arrived in the Premier League in 1999 and spent 18 months with Arsene Wenger's side.

He also played in the English top flight for West Ham United after leaving Arsenal and went on to retire in the summer of 2003 aged 35.

The 1998 World Cup golden boot winner has appeared in numerous legends matches since retiring but now shares minimal resemblances to his playing days.

Nowadays, Suker has a full head of grey hair and also featured in a Real Madrid legends match with an impressively large belly tucked under his shirt.

Fernando Torres

While many on this list have put on the pounds since retiring from football, former Liverpool and Chelsea striker Fernando Torres has been in the gym instead.

The Spaniard shocked fans with his new physique as he posed with massive biceps to promote a casino website earlier this year.

He has also regularly posted pictures to social media of himself in the gym since retiring two years ago.

The World Cup winner scored 85 goals in 212 Premier League appearances as a player and now works as the assistant manager of Atletico Madrid's under-19 side.

Tomas Brolin

Former Leeds United midfielder Tomas Brolin often struggled with his weight even during his playing days as he made just 23 appearances for the club in two seasons.

As a result, he was loaned out twice during his time at Leeds, firstly to Swiss side FC Zurich and then back to former club Parma, with whom he had won the UEFA Cup in 1995.

The former Sweden international has continued to have problems maintaining a healthy weight since retiring and many would be unable to name him if they saw him now.

Pierre van Hooijdonk

One player who has not ballooned in weight since they retired from professional football is former Nottingham Forest forward Pierre van Hooijdonk.

The Dutch striker scored seven goals in 29 Premier League appearances for Forest in between spells with Celtic and Vitesse Arnhem.

For much of his time in England, van Hooijdonk sported a shaved head or short curls, meaning Forest fans may need to double take if they saw him now.

The Netherlands under-21s assistant manager now rocks a much larger head of hair with his greying curls transforming his appearance.

Mido

Egyptian striker Mido made 94 Premier League appearances during his career for four different clubs, including Tottenham Hotspur and Middlesbrough.

However, his fluctuating weight often held him back during his playing days and went on to become a health risk after he retired in 2013.

In 2018, Mido revealed that he had got to a weight of 150kg and was at a point where he struggled to walk even 30 yards.

With fans now accustomed to Mido's larger appearance, they were shocked as he went on to lose over a fifth of his weight to look unrecognisable for a better reason.

Michael Johnson

Michael Johnson was tipped as one of England's future stars when he broke into the first team at Manchester City in 2007 at the age of 19.

His performances saw him called up to the England under-21 squad as he impressed in the centre of midfield before injury problems hit.

Johnson made just four league appearances between 2008 and 2011, before retiring from playing on New Year's Day in 2013 aged 24.

Since retiring, Johnson has struggled with mental health problems as well as his weight and now works as an estate agent.

Mark Bosnich

Mark Bosnich was a Premier League champion with Manchester United in the 1999/2000 season and also played for Aston Villa and Chelsea in the top flight.

The Australian goalkeeper made over 200 Premier League appearances across 11 years in England before returning down under in 2003.

Nowadays, Bosnich often appears on Sky Sports to provide insight and analysis into the performances of his former clubs.

However, his larger appearance and thinning hair have left him unrecognisable compared to his playing days two decades ago.

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