Chelsea icon looks unrecognisable in rare public appearance four years after retiring | Football | Sport

A former Chelsea striker has turned heads on social media with his new look after being spotted by a fan in Miami. The player, who looks unrecognisable from his time at Stamford Bridge, was among the finest strikers of his generation. He scored 335 goals in 710 appearances for club and country and won six league titles before retiring in 2022.

The prolific forward was on loan at Chelsea in the 2018/19 season but didn’t exactly set the world alight with only five goals in 18 games. He was, however, a member of the side that won the Europa League, though he was an unused substitute in the final. He went on to join Inter Miami, where he saw out the rest of his career before hanging up his boots.

The player in question is, of course, Gonzalo Higuain. He was recently spotted by a fan in Miami and was sporting a totally different look, with scruffy balding hair and a long, bushy beard.

A picture was posted by @marcosmondria10 on X (formerly Twitter) alongside the rather brutal caption: “IT’S NOT AI. Yesterday a friend’s brother ran into this guy. A beaten and washed-up man. I back him anyway.”

The photo has since gone viral, sparking a wave of surprised and concerned comments from football fans across social media.

It’s not clear what Higuain has been up to since retiring from football, but he still appears to be based in Miami, where he finished his career.

The iconic striker was reduced to tears when announcing the end of his career four years ago, saying: “After the most wonderful career I could have had, I feel that football has given me so much.

“Many thanks to those who have always believed in me… the time has come to say goodbye. My biggest motivation is helping my team-mates.

“I think the best gift that I can give to my team-mates is to be able to retire as a champion with them because they’ve been there with me, they’ve seen me during my downs this year and they’ve helped me throughout this path.

“Not only players but physios, staff, my brother, my family and this is for all of them as well. I want to retire here as a champion, like I deserve to retire and it would be a very special dream.

“I know there’s two games left and we really hope that the fans come to the stadium and pack the stadium because it’s very important for us. And then once we get to playoffs, the story is different and my dream is to retire as a champion with all my team-mates.”

Unfortunately for Higuain, he didn’t get the chance to retire as an MLS champion with Inter Miami losing to New York City in the first play-off round.