'Kids request haircuts like Coventry City players'

Shehnaz Khan,West Midlandsand
Vic Minett,BBC CWR
News imageMusaab Somobwane A man wearing a head torch trims another man's hair with clippers in a room with a wooden cupboard and metal-framed chair visible in the background.Musaab Somobwane
Musaab Somobwane, at MBlnz Hair Studio, regularly gives haircuts to Coventry City footballers

A barber who regularly cuts the hair of Coventry City players said children often asked for haircuts inspired by the footballers.

Musaab Somobwane, at MBlnz Hair Studio, started off by giving haircuts to footballers playing in the Sky Blues academy before they moved up the ranks.

"They kind of just spread the word," he said of the players. "A haircut's basically just like a walking billboard to be honest so [if] other people like it, they're going to want to go get a fresh haircut."

Having given haircuts to the likes of Haji Wright and Ellis Simms, he said Sky Blues midfielder Jack Rudoni "really likes his hairline sharp".

News imageMusaab Somobwane A man wearing a barber cape sits in a chair, showing a close‑up of a haircut, with a sharp line delineating his otherwise wavy light brown hair from his forehead.
Musaab Somobwane
Somobwane said midfielder Jack Rudoni "really likes his hairline sharp".

He said children at the studio really liked Rudoni's hair and a few had requested cutslike Simms and Milan van Ewijk, or "the same braids as Haji".

Somobwane said the players were like family and that he and they had to "kind of trust each other".

"Whatever is going on, we're always supporting each other," he said.

"It doesn't matter what's going on in the field, they're always going to come and they're always going to have a good time.

"I'm just happy they've done it, they've taken us back to the Premier League."

Somobwane, a converted Sky Blues supporter who was originally a Manchester United fan, said he was happy to help the team.

"I take a lot of pride in the work that I do... I just really like affecting other people's lives in a positive way," he added.

"I think haircuts are very under-looked sometimes, it kind of makes someone's personality so I just like to take a lot of pride in that."

News imageMusaab Somobwane A man wearing a barber cape sits in a chair, showing a close‑up of a haircut.
Musaab Somobwane
Somobwane said he takes pride in the work he does

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