Premier League cult hero Gabor Kiraly has revealed why he wore his iconic jogging bottoms throughout his playing career.
The 48 year-old played at the top level for 25 years and spent the majority of his career plying his trade in Germany and England. UK football fans may recognise Kiraly from his stints with Crystal Palace, West Ham United, Aston Villa, Burnley and Fulham, however it's maybe his look rather his performances that caught the eye.
The Hungarian moved to the Premier League in 2004 after he made 198 appearances for Hertha Berlin. He then made the switch to Palace where he played in goal for the Eagles 104 times.
Further stints at Premier League clubs were less successful for the jogging bottom sporting keeper, however he would find later success at 1860 Munich were he was a mainstay for the Germans for five years. Despite him turning out for several Premier League clubs, perhaps the most notable and memorable aspect of Kiraly's career was his choice of attire when standing in between the sticks.
Kiraly's favoured grey jogging bottoms made him stand out against all other Premier League keepers and, despite his standing as Palace's first choice for keeper for much of the 2004/2005 season, his appearance often leant itself to that of a man playing five aside in the local park, and not a player turning out at the likes of Old Trafford and Anfield.
The Hungarian icon has now revealed just why he preferred the unconventional get-up. Speaking to OLBG, Kiraly has admitted he never wanted his choice of clothing to be a talking point and that he simply wanted to do his job. He said: "For me, wearing long bottoms was the same as wearing my gloves or boots. I never wanted to be a model for the good of the public, I just wanted to work and do my job whether it was in long bottoms or shorts."
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(Birmingham Post and Mail)His penchant for the joggers began at Hungarian outfit Haladás and Kiraly insisted it began at home due to the conditions of the surface there, he added: "I started because in Hungary I would often play on bad pitches." He also revealed that he donned the joggers for an incredible 23 years and that they ensured his safety, he went on to say: "Growing up on bad pitches it was for my protection, for the best of my performance. During my 26 year career I played for 23 years in long bottoms."
However, in a bizarre turn of events Kiraly, whilst playing for Crystal Palace against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in 2005, elected to wear shorts for the first time in a long time and conceded four goals to the Blues. However, he quickly reverted back to his unique fit and to fans' delight he even wore the joggers at Euro 2016 where he also became the oldest player to feature in the competition.
After making four starts for Fulham in the 2014/2015 season, Kiraly then enjoyed a fairytale ending to his career when he returned to Haladás to make over 100 appearances. He announced his retirement from playing in May 2019.
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