Superstitions are not uncommon in football and some footballers have resorted to observing certain rituals which they insist brings about good luck.
Former France international Laurent Blanc was fond of planting a kiss upon the shiny, bald head of goalkeeper Fabien Barthez before every game.
As a matter of fact, en-route to winning the 1998 World Cup for the first time, the French man had often indulged in this practice which became one of the visual highlights of the tournament.
Some players also had a lucky pairs of underwear that they swore to keep wearing for as long as it helped them win games.
Aston Villa forward Jack Grealish recently took a stand on the efficacy of superstitions after he revealed the reason he always loved to wear low socks.
The England international said: “Obviously your socks are supposed to go above your calves but one year, the socks once shrunk in the wash so they wouldn’t go higher. That season, I ended up playing really well so it became a superstitious thing for me. I thought ‘I’m going to keep doing this because I’ve done well”.
The Aston Villa captain had once drew attention for his shoddy footwear which he later explained his reason.
Grealish starred in Aston Villa’s Championship play-off final win against Derby County at Wembley with his battered boots as his Villa ran 2-1 winners to gain promotion to the Premier League after relegation three years ago.
Speaking to skysports, he said: “Well I came back from injury and they were brand new, and then I got a few goals, a few assists,’ he said. ‘I thought these were my lucky boots so I’ve had to keep them.”
The 25-year-old has reportedly attracted interests from top European clubs owing to his red-hot form with Manchester United leading the chase for his signature.
The English man has scored six times and assisted in the same number in his 14 appearances for Villa in all competitions this season.
