Why players cut holes in their socks with Bellingham among stars to make change

The England international made the unusual kit change for Real Madrid and also does the same thing for his country.

It has led to many questions from fans on whether it is a fashion statement or if it actually has any real meaning behind it.

But as weird as it looks, this isn't a new thing, as players all over the world have been cutting their kit over the last few years.

So with the trend growing in popularity and questions being raised, talkSPORT.com takes a look at why they do it…

Why do players cut holes in their socks?

As strange as it may sound, footballers cut holes in their socks to reduce the chances of cramping.

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And that comes down to the socks being too tight.

"Many players feel the current socks are too tight and compressive on their legs, and some of them relate this to getting cramp in their calves," a Premier League club's senior member of medical staff exclusively told talkSPORT.

However, that theory may not have enough evidence to back it up and some players could actually be doing it as a fashion statement.

"There isn't any hard evidence of this, though. It's more to do with how they can feel uncomfortable," the senior member of medical staff continued.

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"I think it then becomes more of a routine or fashion, as they've done it before and see other players do it.

"But the kit suppliers prefer they don't, as it alters the look of the socks.

"Some kit suppliers have adapted their socks to try and change the level of compression around the calf area.

"They'll have designers looking at tweaks like this as they devise kits for the next season."

Football socks come right up to below the knee - unless you're Jack Grealish - and that helps to keep shin pads in place while keeping the legs warm too.

But it can also reduce blood flow and circulation in the lower leg if too tight.

If that happens to a player, the risk of cramping up increases.

So, to combat it, it seems players sometimes cut holes in their socks to relieve some pressure on the muscles and loosen them up.

Kyle Walker and Conor Gallagher are a couple more players who have commonly been seen with holes in their socks and Walker explained his reasoning for it in 2021.

"The socks were actually too tight so it was causing pressure on my calves," he revealed.

"It was just to release my calves - or release the tension.

"I just cut holes in them and all of a sudden I had a few alright games, and I was like, 'Ok, I'm keeping this now!"

The style may look silly on the pitch but the benefits are obvious and there is no surprise that so many stars are deciding to do it.