It’s that time of year again when trick-or-treaters roam the streets in search of a bite and a fright – but if you’re a world-class athlete, what do you decide on as your Halloween get-up?
Well, earlier this week, NFL star Richard Sherman decided to do the Seattle Seahawks’ post-match press conference in full Hogwarts uniform – apparently because his son told him to.
Harry Potter author JK Rowling was clearly impressed.
American athletes are not the only ones to boast a flamboyant taste for cosplay. Europe’s footballers have proven time after time that they too can rise to any fancy-dress occasion – here are our top 10.
1. Robin van Persie
The ex-Arsenal and Manchester United goal machine has put the frighteners on many a Premier League defence in his time, but here he’s chosen an old-school vampire look, with blood gushing from his lips as an extra bit of detail.
Oh, and that’s fellow team-mate Rio Ferdinand donning the zombie look.
2. Peter Crouch
Covered from head to toe, you might think it would be hard to figure out who this player is, but there aren’t many who are a towering 6ft 7in of pure skin and bone.
Standing ovation for Crouchie.
3. Barcelona
Fresh from a win over Getafe, the Nou Camp boys ran riot throughout the streets of Barcelona - Dani Alves, Ivan Rakitic, Gerard Pique and Adriano gate-crashed the opposition’s press conference, soaked their toilets in fake blood and had a night on the town dressed as Batman, Shrek and Frankenstein.
4. Gerard Pique
However, I’m sure Pique lays off spraying fake blood in the bathroom at home when he’s dressing up with the family...
5. Leicester City
There was magic sprinkled all over Leicester’s title-winning season, and many would say that the 2015/16 squad were regarded as heroes.
Heroes, however, come in all shapes and sizes - and that means Turtles, Pacman, Power Rangers and Zorro could all be spotted during their Christmas do in Copenhagen.
6. Arsenal
Leicester aren’t the only team to have had a crack at being superheroes - as Mesut Ozil and the 2013 Arsenal squad proved when Superman, Robocop and the not-so-frightening Bananas in Pyjamas joined the Gunners ranks.
7. Juventus
Adidas Football
The Bianconeri were ahead of their time in 2015 as they expressed a public dislike for the killer clowns craze during an Adidas commercial.
Adidas Football
Claudio Marchisio, Angelo Ogbonna and the £89 million man Paul Pogba tore off their clown outfits to reveal the new Juve kit underneath.
Adidas Football
If only Pogba could transfer his commercial performance onto the football pitch...
8. Andrea Pirlo
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The entire concept of Halloween is to scare your friends and associates in frightening masks and costumes, but when you’re the coolest man in football with a bucket-load of style and grace, just turning up in a monster mask is more than enough.
We’ll take that Pirlo - stay savvy!
9. Kyle Walker
Tottenham’s right-back told Spurs TV he was out for “a decent bit of banter” in a 2013 stunt, displaying some fearsome stealth to surprise his team-mates while dressed as an evil skeleton. The problem for Kyle at “the frontline of the banter” was that some players, like Sandro, like to fight back...
10. Chelsea
Didier Drogba will always be best known for his skills on the pitch, but many of us were cruelly denied the chance to know how good the Ivorian looked in sparkling leather - until now!
Joined by fellow Chelsea team-mates Salomon Kalou, Claude Makelele and Florent Malouda, we doubt the foursome would have been that fearsome - but they sure do rock the party!
