THEY say money can’t buy you taste.
And for all the millions today’s top athletes make – whether it be footballers or any other sports star – it appears that mantra has never been more true than when applied to tattoos.
Former England goalkeeper Joe Hart proved that with the massive block of ink across his right shoulder.
And not even the unofficial King of Cool David Beckham is immune to an occasional style blunder.
Here’s a look at some of the worst around.
Dele Alli
Look past the gold bling and you will see former Spurs star Alli’s permanent tribute to Bamm Bamm from the Flinstones.
A somewhat unconventional choice, Alli – whose first name is Bamidele – is thought to have got it because his nickname is Bam Bam.
David Beckham
A fashion icon the world over and hugely admired midfielder, we’ll let Becks off for this one given he’s barely put a foot wrong in the past, apart from that sarong, those cornrows and that all-leather get-up…
Beckham has more than 40 tattoos but this one is probably the strangest, not least because of where it is.
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Derlis Ayala
The Olympic runner got Tokyo 2020 tattooed on his calf – before the Games was postponed by a year due to coronavirus.
Ayala qualified for Tokyo after finishing fifth overall in the Buenos Aires Marathon in September 2019.
He previously represented Paraguay in the 2016 Olympics in Rio in the marathon where he finished in 136th place – got the Olympics rings plus the date and location inked on.
Sergio Aguero
Those are not hieroglyphics down the prolific striker’s forearm but the Elvish language from Lord of the Rings.
Aguero must be a pretty big fan of the film, then, huh?
Er, no. But he must at least know what it means? Nope – he hasn’t even seen the movie.
Nicolas Otamendi
Most people get tattoos of the things that are most important to them – family members, dates and religious symbols.
Former Man City ace Otamendi, though, clearly loves watching TV so much and has inked stars from hit shows Breaking Bad, Peaky Blinders and Vikings on his back.
At the top of his back, the Benfica defender has Walter White, the main character in Breaking Bad, while lower down there is an image of Peaky Blinders protagonist Thomas Shelby.
To the left appears to be Ragnar Lothbrok from Vikings.
They make up what is an impressive collection including a pocket watch, a lion, a bear and the more regular tattoos such as names of some of his family members.
Jadon Sancho
It’s easy to make the link between rapid England winger Sancho and his tattoo of Sonic the Hedgehog.
After that, things become a bit of a stretch.
Having the Simpsons daubed on his arm can perhaps be likened to his former team Dortmund side’s famous Yellow Wall – if you were really trying.
But Spiderman? There’s only so much Cartoon Network one man can need.
Hector Bellerin
When he’s not flaunting questionable clobber at fashion shows, Bellerin likes to pose in retro-style photos, get tattoos and play football.
Here, he dedicates his commitment to his defensive position by getting his shirt number permanently etched on his thigh.
Erik Lamela
Dodgy tattoos have no allegiance and could not care less about who ruled North London.
But when Erik Lamela was playing for Spurs, he showed off this corker of a tattoo.
Yes, it’s a picture of a loveable bulldog.
Artur Boruc
Word cannot do justice to just how bad the former Bournemouth’s keeper monkey tattoo is around his belly button
Just awful.
No. Not even doing a ‘monkeying around’ pun for this.
Eljero Elia
Spell the name of your club incorrectly? Check. Get the date wrong of the final you played in and won? Check.
Feyenoord winger Elia had a stinker with this tattoo back in 2016, but got it corrected to display the correct details.
Uros Vitas
Fair play to Serbian defender Vitas for showing off the love of his life, Andrijana, in tattoo form.
Shame it looked so frightening.
Marcelo Brozovic
Inter midfielder Brozovic got this ‘epic Brozo’ tattoo to match his equally epic celebration whenever he scores.
Not only is it in a peculiar position on the top of his hand, he also opened a bar in his native Croatia with the name Epic Brozo and, yep, you guessed it, an image of the winking face.
Amato Ciciretti
He is the journeyman Italian who now plays for Ascoli in Serie B, but Ciciretti must be social media famous to go to the lengths of having his Twitter handle tattooed on his calf?
Surprisingly, no. Instead, the 29-year-old removed his account after amassing just over 2,000 followers, and tweeting just 31 times Any regrets, Amato?
Nile Ranger
Perhaps it was just in case he forgot. Nile Ranger – or, as the tattoo would suggest, Nile Ranges – went through the unnecessary pain of having his surname printed above his eye.
To be fair to the former Newcastle striker who has a smiley face tattooed inside his mouth, there wasn’t much space left on the rest of his body.
Layvin Kurzawa
Not quite as bad as Boruc, but here’s another footballer who mistook the belly-button’s purpose for postnatal artwork.
The Paris Saint-Germain left-back, on loan at Fulham, needs to keep his shirt on with the terrifying face on his stomach.
Daniele de Rossi
At first glance, the retired Italian’s calf looks more like it should be placed outside the gents’ loo.
Instead, De Rossi’s hazard warning tattoo backs up his hardman image as the tough-tackling midfielder snapping at opponent’s ankles.
Marko Arnautovic
A message of motivation is blazoned across the former West Ham forward’s stomach.
The problem is Arnautovic seemed as certain about the font he wanted for the tattoo as he was about which club he’d be playing for the following season.
Mauro Junior
There was, perhaps, an oversight when PSV’s young midfielder got a famous image tattooed down his left forearm.
Some will see King Arthur attempting to pull the legendary sword from a stone. Others? Well, we’ll leave that to you..
Ricardo Quaresma
Is there something the former Porto and Chelsea man needs to tell us?
In most quarters, teardrop tattoos tend to signify the amount of people the wearer had killed in prison.
Quaresma’s short stay at Stamford Bridge didn’t include much lethal work.
Jay Bothroyd
On first look, the former England striker appears to have a random arsenal pictured down his ribs.
Tilt you head slightly and the weapons just about spell out the word ‘love’. Awww?
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
