The goalkeeper who made himself famous for saving a goal against England with a scorpion kick now looks unrecognisable from that day after having plastic surgery.
Rene Higuita went down in footballing folklore after preventing Jamie Redknapp from scoring against Columbia in an acrobatic fashion.
It was a save that perfectly suited the Colombian’s character, with Higuita widely regarded as one of football’s first sweeper-keepers, as he frequently acted as an 11 th outfield player for club and country.
He became an icon for his performances for his country across an 11-year career in international football, helping them to the last 16 of the 1990 World Cup and two third-place finishes in the Copa America.
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Higuita’s most famous moment in goal came in 1995 though when he jumped forward and lifted his legs to kick a shot from Redknapp away with his heels.
The Colombian has since revealed it was a move he copied from a children’s game and took him five years to perfect.
“[The scorpion kick] will never be imitated. Today's goalkeeper does not take risks like I used to; he is a more simple player,” he told El Pais.
“It was taken from a kids' game; then it came into training. I started to perfect it and, after five years, I decided to try it.
“I didn't know where, how or when. It was a trick that helped put Colombia and myself on the map.”
Saves such as that ensured he became a legend of South American football, but his career ended in disgrace when he failed a drugs test, the second time he had failed such a test in his storied playing days.
Soon after his retirement Higuita was voted ‘Colombia’s Ugliest Icon’, which led to the former keeper signing up for reality show Cambio Extremo (‘Extreme Change’).
As part of the show, Higuita underwent plastic surgery on live TV, having work done on his nose, a silicon chin implant, skin peel, eyelid skin cut away, 'aggressive' liposuction and abdominal muscle enhancement.
At the time, he revealed that his motive for undergoing the surgery was because: “I am tired of being ugly René, I want to be handsome René.”
After a month of isolation, Higuita showed off his new look to the world and announced that: “Bodily I am perfect.”
The work completely transformed how the former goalkeeper looked, with Higuita previously famous for his wild, curly hair and moustache.
But after the surgery his hair became slicked back and his face became narrower, with El Loco then returning to playing.
He signed for Venezuelan side Guaros FC before finishing his playing career at Colombian team Deportivo Pereira and finally retiring in January 2010.
Higuita has since moved into coaching, first at Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr for five years until 2016 before returning to former club Atletico Nacional a year later.
