Andrei Arshavin, the fashion striker

Given that the former Chelsea and England footballer Graeme le Saux was famously considered gay by his fellow teammates because he read the Guardian newspaper, one can only imagine how Arsenal players are going to react to the news that their latest £15m signing, the Russian striker Andrei Arshavin (pictured), spends his time off the field designing woman's clothes.

According to the London Evening Standard, Arshavin, 27, who has moved from Zenit St Petersburg, learnt his skills at the St Petersburg State University of Technology and Design and wrote his  thesis on designing a suit which can be worn both casually and for sport.

Says Arshavin: "When I turned 17, I had to choose which university to attend. My friends and I decided to try for the technology and design institute because there were lots of girls among the students and you didn't have to study too hard, or so we thought. I enrolled in the chemical technology department.

"But when I began training with Zenit I had to miss a lot of classes. I transferred to the clothes design department. I have designed several garments myself."

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