At first glance, there does not seem to be a lot in common between football and rock music. However, particularly in the modern era, there are more than a few similarities between the two mediums.
Taking their lead from Jurgen Klopp, who famously claimed he wants his team to play “heavy metal football”, more and more managers are seemingly influenced by rock music. Teams now press with the intensity of a crushing guitar riff or a powerful drum solo.
Rock music, particularly the heavier stuff, plays an important role in the dressing room as well with many players listening to the tunes in order to get themselves pumped for the game. Here are some of the sport’s most famous proponents of rock music.
Patrick Bamford
Patrick Bamford is not your typical Premier League footballer. Not only is he an accomplished violin and piano player, but he is also able to speak French, Spanish and German, despite having never played in any of those countries.
Bamford’s untypical nature extends to his pre-match playlist. A few years ago, he confessed to listening to Bon Jovi before kick off and the story does not stop there.
After hearing Bamford was a fan, lead singer of the band Jon Bon Jovi appeared on talkSPORT, saying: “He gets motivated listening to Bon Jovi before a game – what could be better than that?”
The Leeds United striker will no doubt be listening to the rock outfit prior to the Whites’ first game of the Premier League season against bitter rivals Manchester United on 14 August. Sportsbook 888 Sport have Leeds United as the underdog in the competition; however, they might be worth taking a punt on, particularly with these amazing online betting offers.
Sergio Ramos
Sergio Ramos is a master of the dark arts on the pitch. Although his methods have been criticised by some, his record is incredible. In a truly remarkable career so far, he has won four Champions Leagues, five La Liga titles and a host of domestic and European honours at club level.
Internationally, he has also thrived, forming part of the Spanish sides that won back-to-back European Championship in 2008 and 2012, as well as the 2010 World Cup.
As his playing style is a bit “heavy”, it is little surprise that he favours heavy music. In an interview he described metal bands Motorhead and Guns N’ Roses as his favourite acts of all time.
David de Gea
David de Gea does not let his teammates prevent him from putting on his favourite tunes in the Manchester United dressing room.
In an interview with the club’s website (via NME) back in 2016 he said: “I like metal and rock bands like Avenged Sevenfold and Metallica. When I put it on in the dressing room, everyone moans. Most of the other players are into hip-hop.”
De Gea is an avid gig goer as well. In recent times he has posted photos of Slipknot and Avenged Sevenfold shows. He even got to meet the latter backstage at one of their Manchester dates, much to his evident delight.
Slaven Bilic
Slaven Bilic never left anything out on the pitch as a player and he has shown a similarly burning intensity since moving into management.
During his spell in the West Ham hot seat, he used the undeniable power of heavy metal to motivate his charges. Before one game against Liverpool back in 2015 he blasted Megadeth around the dressing in an attempt to get everyone fired up.
It clearly worked, with goals from Manuel Lanzini, Mark Noble and Diafra Sakho giving the Hammers a 3-0 win.
Daniel Agger
Covered head to toe in tattoos, it is not hard to imagine Daniel Agger at a heavy metal gig. He confirmed our suspicions during a Twitter interview when he was at Liverpool.
Asked what one song he would listen to if he was stranded on a desert island he opted for Whitesnake classic Here I Go Again — though not before he tried to select the club’s anthem You’ll Never Walk Alone.
Agger is currently in charge of Danish First Division side HB Koge. We are sure he is spreading his love of hard rock around the dressing room before every game.
Tomas Rosicky
Tomas Rosicky is another footballer who cannot get enough heavy metal. Starting his career at Sparta Prague, he earned a move to Arsenal after impressing at Borussia Dortmund.
One of Rosicky’s favourite things about living in England was getting to see his favourite rock bands regularly. He is a big Metallica and Rise Against fan, but he has also sung the praise of a string of lesser-known acts.
The likes of Sylosis and In Flames have earned praise from the dynamic midfielder in the past. Now he’s retired, he has even more time to discover new acts.