5 footballers caught smoking as Scott McTominay puffs on cigarette at Napoli parade
Napoli hero Scott McTominay isn't the only player to get caught having a crafty cigarette. Here are five other well-known professionals who enjoyed a smoke
The sight of Scott McTominay puffing away on a cigarette during Napoli's victory parade turned some heads this weekend - but he isn't the only footballer who has been caught smoking.
Within nine months of his arrival in Italy, the ex-Manchester United midfielder helped the Serie A side to just their fourth ever Serie A triumph, and so naturally, he was going to celebrate.
Over 200,000 fans lined the streets of Naples as the players' coach cruised along the city's seafront. Yet it wasn't just the affection from supporters they were indulging in, with footage showing many players, including McTominay, smoking on the open-top bus while drinking and enjoying the revelry.
While more socially accepted on the continent, the image of footballing heroes smoking is still enough to send shockwaves through the average English football fan. Yet some of the biggest stars of the game have been caught enjoying a social, and controversial, smoke from time to time.
From former Arsenal star Jack Wilshere to one of the most iconic players of all time, Zinedine Zidane, here, Mirror Football takes a look at five players who have been spotted enjoying a cheeky cigarette.
Dimitar Berbatov
Former Tottenham, Manchester United, and Fulham striker Dimitar Berbatov was spotted on a few occasions taking the edge off with a cigarette. Yet he insisted he only did it for the aesthetics.
The Bulgarian icon told Four Four Two: "I pretended to smoke because I looked cool holding a cigarette, but that's it, so I don't know why people think I smoke just from one picture."
Slaven Bilic
Slaven Bilic's laissez-faire attitude meant that he was never too concerned with people seeing him smoke. According to Bilic's old West Ham team-mate John Moncur, the Croatian even smoked on the back of the bus.
As manager of Besiktas, the Turkish Football Federation warned him against smoking inside the stadium. Former Irons star James Collins also revealed his old manager's love for a cigarette. "Loves a fag," Collins said on Billic. "Loved it. Dressing rooms, toilets, sneaking out, everywhere. All his staff – chuffing for fun, they were."
Mario Balotelli
Maverick striker Mario Balotelli never made any secret of his habit, often spotted waltzing around with a cigarette in his mouth. The Italy international reportedly smoked while playing for Manchester City and Liverpool.
His penchant for smoking even hit the headlines in 2013 when he was caught puffing away in a train toilet while on the way to Florence to take on Fiorentina with AC Milan. Balotelli would allegedly smoke two cigarettes before every City training session, according to a former Sky Blues kitman, Les Chapman, on the Ninety Three Twenty Podcast.
Jack Wilshere
Former Arsenal star Jack Wilshere was caught smoking twice in nine months, in 2013 and 2014. However, the midfielder was quick to acknowledge his actions by taking to social media. "Of course I regret it," he posted at the time. "It's unacceptable, and I will accept the consequences and move on."
Zinedine Zidane
Even players branded as the very best the game has ever seen have not been exempt from being caught taking a sneaky drag. Just days before France played Portugal in the World Cup 2006 semi-final, photographers caught Zidane having a crafty cigarette. The Ballon d'Or winner wasn't spotted doing it often, however, with reports suggesting he cooled on the habit in his later days.
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