Football fans could hardly recognise a former Everton star after his stunning new hairstyle
Neal Maupay celebrates his goal with Francis Okoronkwo
Neal Maupay left football fans in disbelief
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Neal Maupay's dramatic new look left fans stunned over his near-unrecognisable transformation. The former Everton striker joined the Toffees in 2022 but failed to impress in Merseyside as he scored just one goal in 32 games for the club.
He was subsequently loaned to Marseille in 2024 after a temporary return to Brentford and it was after the move back to his native France that Maupay adopted a villain persona.
After news of the loan to the French giants was confirmed on social media, the 29-year-old responded to it with a post of the famous prison-break scene from the film The Shawshank Redemption. Seemingly suggesting he felt trapped at Goodison Park, the striker's post was seen over three million times.
His loan spell at Marseille came with an obligation to buy but he's played just three times in all competitions this season, which has since led to his departure to Sevilla earlier this week.
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However, Maupay's resurgence among the headlines came prior to his move to Spain and was regarding his hairstyle, rather than his footballing skills. In a TikTok video posted by Marseille's social media team earlier this month, they asked the club's players of their prediction of who'd win the Africa Cup of Nations final between Morocco and Senegal.
When making his way onto the training pitch, Maupay's unfamiliar curly locks went viral given it was a dramatic departure from his usual shaven look. His impressive hair growth will do little to improve his reputation among Everton fans who've long had a bone to pick with him.
He once opened up about his decision to post the jailbreak reference on social media, admitting he did nothing wrong. He explained: "I consider myself a normal person. If everyone can tweet, so can I.
"I published a funny video as my situation at Everton was known… I wanted to leave & they didn't want to keep me. So the video was to say that I was relieved to leave the club!"
Neal Maupay of Everton warms up
Neal Maupay went away from his usual style
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Even during his loan stint at Marseille, Maupay aimed a dig at his former club after a 2-0 loss to Nottingham Forest in December 2024. Posting on X, Maupay wrote: "Whenever I’m having a bad day I just check the Everton score and smile."
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