"When you've got a fresh haircut... you're going to have that element of confidence."
Those are the wise words of barber Ahmed AlsanawI, better known as A-Star, who is responsible for cutting some of football's most iconic hairstyles. The 32-year-old has styled the likes of Jack Grealish, Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe and Eden Hazard since starting his career as an ambitious 15-year-old, helping him become a social media sensation.
Ahmed, now 32, has gained 926,000 followers on Instagram and 3.2million on TikTok by showcasing his dazzling work to admiring football fans from across the world. The barber's incredible success begs the question, how do you become a footballer's barber?
"I've been in the game now for 15, 16 years," Ahmed - who has announced the release of FINI by A-Star, a brand new haircare range - tells Mirror Football. "I picked up a clipper when I was 15 years old... and it's just over the years [that you meet new clients].
"You get one and there's a snowball effect. Obviously you have to be very good at what you do; you can't just cut their hair and become pals with them, they've got to love their haircut."
Ahmed got his big break in the footballing world when he became entrusted by the Chelsea squad. That was a dream come true for the barber, who is a Blues fan.
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He explains: "I was cutting all the U21s - like Dom Solanke, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, [Lewis] Baker... Jamal Blackman was in the first-team changing room, and he just recommended me to JT [John Terry]. I was working for Chelsea for three years.
"Every Monday and Thursday I was there in the changing room cutting their hair. It was a great platform for me, cutting the likes of Diego [Costa], [Alexandre] Pato, Cesc [Fabregas]. There was just too many superstars in that changing room at that time [in a good way]. Even Mourinho, I actually cut Mourinho's hair and witnessed him get sacked."
It's not unusual for a footballer to be criticised for their haircut. Paul Pogba often came under fire for his style during his second spell with Manchester United. Former Denmark manager Age Hareide even asked in 2018: "Does he only think about his haircuts?"
Yet Ahmed knows the importance of having a good trim. He explains: "Today's players, they're all into their fashion; they're all into their looks. I do believe that helps because... you wouldn't go for a night out looking rough. You're not gonna be at your best or confident.
"But when you've got a fresh haircut or you've done something different with your hair, you're going to have that element of confidence. I think that's the same with football. I get like it sometimes as well. I play Sunday football, so I've bleached my hair - as you can see - and I banged in two goals yesterday! I'm feeling myself.
"It's a bit of an egotistical thing to say, but I do believe in that. You know your typical journalist when they write, 'Oh they should stop getting haircuts'. But they're human beings. They're allowed to have a haircut; they're allowed to go on holiday; they're allowed to have a night out."
Ahmed's TikTok account features some of the biggest names in the game. The likes of Reece James, Declan Rice, Marcus Rashford, Jude Bellingham, Mason Mount, Phil Foden, Jesse Lingard and Pogba have all been styled by the highly-rated barber.
Yet of all the footballers he's cut, the man at the top of his list is Hazard. Ahmed fell in love with the little Belgian after his seven-year spell at Chelsea, where he scored 110 goals and won six major honours - including two Premier League titles.
When asked for his favourite, Ahmed replies: "It's Eden Hazard. I'm not just saying that because I've known the guy for years or whatever, I just love the way he plays the game.
"If I was a kid, I'd want to play like him. He's given so much joy to the game that to this day, I'll say, 'Bro, come out side and show me this, show me that'. I'm small as well, so I play similar to him - not as good! So, I'm just proper into his game. Definitely Eden."
Yet it can be tough for Ahmed when UK-based players move abroad, such as Hazard after his switch to Real Madrid during the summer of 2019. That's why it's important for the barber to develop a friendship with his clients and deliver a high-quality service.
He notes: "It is hard, but when you create a friendship... they're just comfortable with you and they're happy with their hair. You become friends. You go and see them, see how they are and cut their hair. It is difficult. A lot of my clients have gone abroad."
Ahmed's list of clients is impressive, but not complete. There are still three footballers he'd love to cut before hanging up the clippers. When asked who, he replies: "I'd love to cut three players because they're the GOATs - in my eyes, anyway. [Lionel] Messi; [Cristiano] Ronaldo; Neymar. Just one haircut, but I don't just want a normal haircut.
"Imagine doing something with Messi's! Creating a crazy style!"
FINI by A-Star is a brand new haircare range from A-Star Barber. For more information, visit www.finibyastar.com or @finibyastar on Instagram.
