I’m a Premier League star but I love playing 7-a-side with my mates – I’m forced to wear a disguise
ALEX IWOBI has revealed that he would disguise himself when playing 7-a-side football with his friends.
The Everton star would wear a snood and cover up his hair in order to hide his identity.
He started playing with his pals as he had dropped out of the Toffees team and he insisted that doing so helped him get his “love” back for football.
He told the Kammy and Ben’s Proper Football Podcast: “It was a bit hard because of the sort of hair I have. But I’d wear a snood…and try to cover my hair.
“So obviously, now I’ve moved up to Liverpool/Manchester, I’d go and play with friends in Manchester when I wasn’t playing as much with Everton.
“But yeah, it definitely helped me get my love for football again.
“Just enjoying it with my mates made me realise how much I love the sport.”
“I made sure I didn’t get into 50/50s or get into anything physical just for safety.
“But yeah, I did work hard.”
However, he admitted that some opponents would figure out who he was, but were keen not to injure him.
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When asked if they would try “rough him up”, Iwobi replied: “No, not at all.
“Because everyone knew who I was that I was playing with, they made sure that they didn’t really.
“They would say, like, ‘Don’t really get too tight to him. He has training, you know, he has a match coming up soon.'”
When it was suggested that he would be protected, he added: “Yeah, a bit.
“I feel like it was a thrill for me to play with them, honestly…I enjoyed their company more than they enjoyed mine, if I’m being honest.
“Because at the end of the day, we are the same people, just people that love the game.
“Of course, I do play professionally, but everyone loves football the same way. So, it made me enjoy it as much as they enjoyed it.”