There are numerous press stories that shame football players for drinking alcohol, and these can skew our judgement around the relationship between footballers and alcohol. Footballers drink alcohol for similar reasons as everybody else – to socialise with friends or family, or to help them relax when they are under pressure. There are also reasons…

Footballers wear various numbers on the back of their shirts. Some players will stick with the same number for the whole of their career, while others will consistently swap their numbers. So how do footballers choose their numbers? If you’ve ever wondered this, then this Elastico article is for you. We discuss superstitions, availability, and…