When Manuel Akanji pulls up to the Etihad Campus there’s only one plan at the forefront of his mind, “prove them wrong.” This may seem like an easy feat for a player who’s already lifted six pieces of silverware, including two Premier League titles and a Champions League trophy, in just three years at Manchester City – but Akanji’s humble nature keeps his feet firmly on the ground while his dreams soar.

Don’t be fooled by his modest persona, this centre-back oozes confidence. Whether it be his ability to defend City’s reign at the top of English football or his skill when it comes to styling striking outfits, there’s a reason this Swiss star is regarded as one of the best in the game.

“I definitely think footballers can dress,” our January cover star proclaims. “I think it’s changed a bit over the last few years. Before, footballers were just buying the most expensive fashion and brands, but I think it’s changed a lot.

Akanji’s style can be attributed to the amount of people he’s had the privilege of brushing shoulders with so far in his career. After leaving his boyhood club FC Winterthur in 2015 for Basel, he secured a move to Borussia Dortmund in 2018 before joining Pep Guardiola’s City side four years later.

Photography by Charlie Townsend

“I’ve seen a lot of different changing rooms, a lot of different people. What I love about football is it’s a lot of cultures coming together, it doesn’t matter what background you have, you’re there for the same goal, and you work together as a team, and I think that helped me a lot.

“I’m happy to pick up some new things when I see something that I like, especially on social media I think that’s where I see the most of the things. I just wear whatever I feel like and go by that flow. 

“I don’t even really know what I was wearing at the start,” he continues. “But probably it was just easy to wear a track suit and stuff like this. You start to feel more comfortable and try something and then think maybe it looks nice, or you get a couple of compliments and actually think, this could be good.

“I don’t really care what the opinion is. If some people don’t like it, it’s just important that I like it and I can wear it with confidence.” 

In the year of 2025, football and fashion have never been so intertwined. Fans eagerly await to see what their favourite ballers donned in the tunnel and keep a close eye on Instagram for any new drops or outfit dumps.

It’s no different inside the inner circle of City’s dressing room.

Photography by Charlie Townsend

“No one’s got like the same style as me,” Akanji admits. “But there’s some styles that I like, whatever people are wearing. Kyle Walker, he has a good style, he changes his stuff as well.” 

But, outside of the Manchester squad, the defender praises the style of a certain Jadon Sancho.

“I played together with Sancho. I think he’s been always dressing really well. Over the last few years, he’s not been really been posting about it, but I know always when I see him or when we go out for dinner, he’s always dressing well.” 

We feel you Akanji, please bless our feeds with more fashion in 2o25 Jadon!

When it comes to inspiration, however, Akanji knows the USA is where sports fashion is at it’s true peak.

“My favourite basketball player is Russell Westbrook. He was the first one that really put me on fashion. It started with him and then after Stefon Diggs from the NFL dresses really nice. Also, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – these are the guys I’d say.”

This baller clearly knows his fashion, but his passions don’t end there. A lover of Afrobeats, Akanji wasted no time when we asked him to put us on to his favourite artists.

Photography by Charlie Townsend

“Burna Boy, Asake and Omah Lay. I listen to Afrobeats the most, Lonely at the Top by Asake has to be up there. He’s more well-known now but I don’t think he’s where he should be.

“He’s doing unbelievable music. There’s some words in there that people don’t understand because it’s mixed with English, but I think he’s a really great artist.

“With Afrobeats,” he explains, “I feel like you can listen to it all the time. That’s why I also don’t listen to much rap and hip-hop anymore. With Afrobeats you’ve got everything. I could put it on every day in the car or at home or even with my kids.”

The mention of his family opens a new door for City’s number 25. With three children – a daughter and two sons – it’s no wonder Akanji strives to be the best version of himself every day.

“When you come home and see your kids smiling and wanting to play with you, you forget about things that happened before and remember the most important thing in life.

“My kids are the most important thing. I hope they have bright and healthy futures. Whatever they want to do, they should do it. The most important thing is that they’re happy in their life.” 

Akanji looks to his arm when we ask him to detail the quote he lives by. It’s a simple answer, short and sweet but packed full of meaning.

“I have it tatted on me here, prove them wrong, I live by it. 

“I want every day to be my best, otherwise it’s wasted.”

Watch our full interview with Manuel Akanji at Manchester City’s training ground here.

Photography: Charlie Townsend

Styling: Brian Gallo and Marcus Pancho

Videography: Ellie Wickes

Amadou Onana lives every single day like it’s his last. Why? Because he knows it truly could be. “Tomorrow, everything could end,” he tells me in the aftermath of our first cover shoot of the year.

“It doesn’t matter how far you’ve made it in football or life, or who you are or where you’ve come from. It’s the same for everyone. Tomorrow, anything could end. You have to live life to the fullest and go after all of your goals.”

The Everton midfielder, who has already played professionally in multiple leagues across Europe before his 23rd birthday, speaks with the maturity and humility of a seasoned pro, though not without the enthusiasm for life of a new kid on the block with the world at his feet.

For Onana, every accomplishment in his short career so far has only been possible due to the sacrifices of the two strongest people in his life: his mother and sister.

Photography by Shane Bain.

“They played a crucial role in my journey to making it as a professional,” he says. “My sister was battling cancer at the same time she helped me get a move to Hoffenheim. To this day, she is my agent. She takes care of everything in my life. Literally everything. From a personal trainer to a chef to a mental coach, whatever I need, she takes care of it. A big shoutout to my sis. She is one of the strongest human beings I know.”

“With my Mum, she did a lot,” Onana adds. “She’s my Queen. She gave up on her life and her dreams for me. She had her own business in Senegal as a physio and gave up on all of that to move to Belgium to make her child’s dream a reality. I could never say ‘thank you’ enough to my Mum.”

Born in Colobane of Dakar, Senegal, Onana’s early life – eleven years to be exact – was spent in West Africa under the roof of a 14-member household. Though originally from Cameroon, Onana’s father lived in Belgium, the place he would first meet Onana’s mother, and therefore Brussels provided the pathway to more opportunities to not only play football but to forge a professional career in the sport.

Despite Belgium’s contribution to his journey in football, Onana’s gratitude for his upbringing in Senegal has never wavered. “Growing up in both Senegal and Belgium gave me different views about life,” he says.

“They are two different countries with two very different cultures. Growing up in Senegal gave me the family values I have now. It humbled me. I’ve been around people who didn’t have much but they lived life with happiness and would help the next person, even when their situation wasn’t the best.”

Photography by Shane Bain.

“With Belgium, I moved there when I was eleven as a young kid. I went to school there, I started my football career there and I think I learned the discipline to make it to the top level during my youth there.”

Onana, by his own admission, is a larger-than-life character. If you’re in a room with him, you will know about it. Not because of his 6’4″ frame, footballer fame or distinctive style choices, but the fearlessness he holds in his self-expression. From dancing to afrobeats to belting out Giveon’s ‘Heartbreak Anniversary’ on set, Onana is never afraid to be himself in any environment, something many athletes are progressively becoming more open to than ever before.

The Belgian believes his travels across the globe have helped shape the person and player he is today. “Growing up around the world was great for me,” he says. “It opened my eyes and my vision for life. I picked up something from every single place I’ve been.”

“In Senegal, I learned family values, creativity and the art of being yourself and doing your own thing. In Belgium, I learned about football, how the industry works and the business side of the game. Going to Germany, the German discipline is just different. You really have to follow the advice you’re given and the steps as they are to succeed.”

Now, England is Onana’s new home. Almost two years on from his switch to Everton from Ligue 1 side Lille, he is one of the Premier League’s hottest prospects with the character to match. Last January, he reportedly turned down interest from Chelsea, refusing to leave the Toffees in the midst of a relegation battle, a decision that would later help keep Everton’s Premier League status intact.

Photography by Shane Bain.

Fast forward to January of this year and once again, Onana’s name is attracting suitors. Reports of interest from both Manchester United and Arsenal are rife and Everton’s troubles with the Premier League continue, including a points deduction for allegedly breaching financial regulations. Despite this, Onana remains at Goodison Park, giving his all in every game as each Evertonian – on the pitch and in the stands – continues to do since the ruling.

“I feel very happy living in England, I’ve been accepted as I am,” he says.

“I’m a loud character and I’m quite different from other people. I think that’s normalised here, which is a great thing for me. In England, I feel like people are very open-minded. You’re accepted no matter who you are, what you come from, what religion you follow and you can be yourself.” 

The importance of being yourself is something that regularly features in conversation with Onana. Whether it be from his time in Senegal or forging a career as a young player in the social media era, being unique and standing out from the crowd is a vital part of his life.

“To me, it’s very important. I can’t be anything else but myself,” he reveals.

“That’s how I’ve been raised. Being proud of who I am, what I do and where I came from. In the most humble way, there is no other human being on this planet that is exactly like me. Everyone has different characters and different views on life, so just be yourself, express yourself the way you want to and do things that you actually want to do.”

Photography by Shane Bain.

Away from football, fashion and music act as an outlet for Onana in his hunt for self-expression. If you aren’t aware of the rise of football x fashion in recent years, firstly, where have you been? Secondly, things are only getting bigger so you may need to catch up whilst you still can. Long gone are the days of athletes being required to stick to football. The new generation of players are leading a wave in which they have become the new age fashion icons and with the backing of the youth, their influence over football fans and Gen-Z consumers knows no bounds.

“Everything has evolved,” says Onana. “Back in the day, football players were just seen as football players. Now, people understand we can do a lot more than that. Football doesn’t define us. Football is not who I am, but what I do and what I love. I do loads of other stuff, like singing, modelling and fashion,” Onana reveals. “It makes me happy that everyone is opening up and showing a different side to themselves. I think it’s a great thing for the game.”

“I feel like fashion is a way of expressing myself and that’s the magic thing about it,” Onana explains, more than happy to continue diving into his fashion exploits. “You get to decide what you rock today. I express myself through the way I dress and I dress the way I feel.”

“If I wake up happy, you will see it in the way I dress with loads of colour combinations. If I’m a bit moody, I’ll go dark. It really depends on my mood and that’s what is so special about it. If I feel comfortable in it, I don’t mind wearing anything. I’ve done crazy styles before and as long as I find it fire, I’mma rock it.”

Photography by Shane Bain.

One thing about top-level athletes is that they are competitive by nature, in any and every field they play. When it comes to football and fashion, things are no different. As the niche continues to grow (a rise which saw training fits and pre-game looks introduced across club socials in Europe last season), so do the levels being displayed by each elite-level baller with a love of self-expression. Naturally, debates between players now go further than just on-the-pitch performances with wardrobe wars replacing everyday football discussions and players battling it out to be the best-dressed athletes in sport. Barcelona’s Jules Koundé and Aston Villa’s Kenza Dali were most recently crowned Footballer Fits’ 2023 MVPs, a prize given to the flyest footballers of the year.

For both club and country, Onana has shared dressing rooms with some of the waviest names in the football x fashion world, aside from his own of course. One baller in particular stands out when I quiz him on the best-dressed players he’s played alongside.

“Number one, Mr Michy Batshuayi. That guy is fly! That guy is cold!” Onana says without a second of hesitation.

“I like the way he dresses because it’s different from anyone else. He does his own thing and you can really see that. The way he dresses matches his personality, which I love.”

“Timothy Weah is another. I played with him back in Lille. He brings that American style and he’s one of the coldest I know. I also like Dominic Calvert-Lewin a lot too. Again, he expresses himself differently to most people. Jérémy Doku is a fly baller and he’s my guy! I play with him at Belgium and every time we come to meet up, it’s a competition, I’m not going to lie! People are always trying to look the best and I like it. I could name even more, but I feel like these guys are the flyest I’ve played with.”

Photography by Shane Bain.

Whilst the endless supply of inspiration from other players may be of use to many, Onana’s inspiration comes from far greater means than the Instagram feeds of his peers. “I feel like I inspire myself from everything I see. I look at other athletes, artists, models or my experience travelling the world and coming from Senegal, where people dress in a very loud and colourful way,” he says.

“Then I can go across the globe to America and look at the NFL players for example. I feel like I can dress in any kind of way, I can dress young, I can dress classy and elegant, I can dress crazy and colourful and do it all, rock n’ roll. I don’t really focus on brands. For me, as I said, if it looks good, I don’t care about anything else. I really look at everyone around me for inspiration but then try to do my own thing.”

Fashion is no longer the only route of self-expression players are exploring outside of the game, though. The new-found trend of footballers launching music careers is becoming harder to ignore with each passing day. AC Milan’s Rafael Leão goes by the pseudonym ‘Way 45′ to release his music, Juventus’ Moise Kean recently released his debut track under the group ’19F’ and Memphis Depay has been dropping heat across all streaming platforms in recent years.

Onana’s musical ability is no secret either. From singing videos on his own channels – including his viral cover of Summer Walker’s ‘Session 32’ – to his ability to rap in multiple languages on the same track, the midfielder sees music as another form of expressiveness that football nor fashion can offer. “With music, I can put everything into words,” he says.

“I’m expressing myself with my voice and I can shout about how I feel. It’s different and expressing myself in a way that everyone can understand in comparison to football and fashion.”

Photography by Shane Bain.

Onana is not just jumping on a popular trend either, as his family will attest to. Since early, music has been a part of his life.

“My love for music started young, you know. I’ve always loved listening to music, singing in the house and in the shower so loud that my Mum would bang the door! I started writing my own tracks since I was young too,” he reveals.

“Ten, eleven-years-old, writing little rap songs and that. I never released them and never will because those songs were crap! Nah, I’m just joking, but those songs were very different to the ones I create now. I released the track with you guys and my guy #17 (Alex Iwobi), which was a great track too by the way and I’m planning on releasing more in the future. It’s something that’s really fun for me.” 

The process of those tracks can start and end anywhere for Onana. Though many musical talents like to lock in during their time at the studio, Onana, like his fashion sense, sources inspiration from all over. “I feel like I could start writing anywhere,” he says, taking me through his creative process.

“I could be on the coach to an away game and a bar will come in my head. Sometimes I see something and I’m able to write about it there and then. There’s no special place or routine. I just need a beat, my creativity and inspiration and that’s it. I can write from anywhere at any time.”

As things stand, the footballer music scene is yet to have as many participants as the fashion wave, but it continues to grow. Draping yourself in designer clothes and the latest fashion trends across social media is a little easier than being born with musical ability, it must be said. Despite the vast improvement of criticism against players for their outside interests, making and releasing music still has some way to go before it’s fully accepted in the sport. Because of this, some players with genuine talent have kept it far from the eyes and ears of football folklore and traditional media, something Onana wants to change.

“There are some very talented ballers out there who are probably scared to release something because of those who say ‘focus on football’. Of course, football is the main part of my life but it’s what I do, it’s not what I am,” Onana says passionately.

Photography by Shane Bain.

“Football is the most important thing so I’m focused on it but I need other interests and to think about different things when I’m away from the pitch. I think that’s more healthy. The ballers out there with talent, go out there and do your thing. Believe in yourself and just drop it, man. If you enjoy it, do it. We have to thank the likes of Memphis Depay who started the wave, so a big shout out to him and the other players that created a pathway for us to express ourselves.”

Spending time with Onana, it is incredibly hard to believe he is still just 22-years-old. From his understanding of life to his humble nature with everything he says and does, you would be forgiven for thinking he had already been there and done it all. A born leader who is focused on using his voice and his platform to inspire those around him and help those who need it most, Onana strays far from the stereotypes given to footballers.

Whilst becoming the best player he can be is a huge ambition and one he will give everything to reach, he understands life does not revolve around eleven people kicking a ball every Saturday, even when we football supporters feel that it does. Instead, leaving a legacy beyond the walls of a football stadium is at the forefront of his mind.

“I want to break records, I want to win as many trophies as I can, I want to push the barriers and play as many games as I can. I want people to remember me as the football player I am.”

“But more importantly, I want people to remember the person I am. To remember the people I inspired and the charity work I’ve done. I want to help as many people as I can, donate as much as I can and do as much as I can for my people.”

“At the end of the day, that’s what really matters to me, man. Football is great, but there’s a life after it. I want to be remembered for way, way more than just football.”

Producer: Jordan Clarke

Executive Producer: Kieran Clarke

Photography: Shane Bain

Video: Cory Shillingford-Cox

BTS Video: Ellie Wickes

Styling/Creative Direction: Marcus Pancho

Make-up: Corrine Gibbons

Lighting: Aaron Price

Retouching: Adam Lupton

Cover Design: Scott Mcroy

Jewellery: Local Kettle Brothers