Meet Daniel, the barber who cuts for Bale, Rooney, Balotelli, Ferdinand, Walcott, Terry and more. Plus Top Five Footballer Haircuts

Who do the likes of Wayne Rooney, Mario Balotelli and Gareth Bale call when they need a trim? They go to celebrity hair stylist Daniel Johnson.

The eyes of the world were on Gareth Bale when he was unveiled at Real Madrid. He had become the most expensive player on the planet, worth a dizzying £86million. And he had the haircut to match. Spain went wild for it, with fans flocking to barber shops demanding the Bale-look.

A look crafted by a male stylist and hairdresser named Daniel Johnson.

This is a man who believes he is at the top of his game and his list of clients – from footballers to actors, musicians to celebrities – shows how in demand he is.

  

Shake on it: Daniel has been cutting Bale’s hair since he moved to Tottenham

‘I look after Gareth Bale and I transformed his whole image, really,’ Daniel told Sportsmail.

click for more pix

‘The whole of Spain’s gone mad for it. I’ve been doing his haircuts for quite a while. Gareth Bale’s haircuts are mine. As you can see, a haircut can transform you.

‘As well as your appearance it can also boost your confidence highly as well.’

When you look at how Bale’s look has developed since his days on the south coast, it’s quite astonishing.

‘Southampton… that’s nothing to do with me! Understand that,’ said Daniel.

‘I got hold of him at Spurs, I put him in a headlock and I done my thing. My man Gareth Bale, his hair’s looking much better now and it’s well maintained.’

Bale’s own testimony reads: ‘Daniel has got my style down pat; he knows exactly how I like it. Although, I know if I ever wanted to try something new, he’d know what to do.’

That’s better: Bale looks the part now, and has the image appropriate for the world’s most expensive player

In the chair: Daniel has been cutting Rooney’s hair since he had his transplant But the Welshman is not a one-off. Daniel is accustomed to cutting hair for a great number of the Premier League’s top footballers.

Robert Green; Micah Richards, Nemanja Vidic, John Terry, Ashley Cole; Theo Walcott, Anderson, Scott Parker, Nani; Dimitar Berbatov, Mario Balotelli.

No, that’s not a fantasy football team, it’s just a handful of the big names that hook up with Daniel when it’s time for a trim.

Two of the country’s most well-known players – Manchester United duo Rio Ferdinand and Wayne Rooney – are among Daniel’s regular clients, and it begs the question – how did this begin?

Regular customer: Daniel often cuts Rio Ferdinand’s hair and always enjoys catching up with the England man

Daniel said: ‘It all started when I was about 16. I got my first shop and started doing lower league players. It’s gone from strength to strength because of word of mouth. Now I’m in demand.

But how did these players find him in the first place?

‘Through my hands. Meaning, I’m blessed at what I do. My haircuts are always outstanding. It gets all the lads talking,’ he explained. 

‘My first shop was in St Albans, Hertfordshire, I started there and when I was about 18 I got the opportunity to have a shop over in Watford Lower High Street. I took that with both hands and it’s grown from there

‘It all started from Watford players, and Sheffield United, and a few of the boys have gone up from there and it’s just word of mouth and skillset.

‘I’d say from Ashley Young, onwards. I’ve been cutting him since Watford. I see him every week to be honest.

‘Wherever the boys are, they give me a phone call and then I go to them, really. It could be training ground, hotels, abroad.

 ‘Last year I flew out to Poland for the England game, and that was amazing. I done the whole England squad and the staff, loads of banter and that – it was all good man.’

Italy striker Balotelli is one of the cuts Daniel is most proud of. He said: ‘He’s (Mario) one of the lads who expresses himself through his hair quite well. I like guys that are bold, taking the male grooming style to a whole other level.

‘Mario just said, “Daniel, do what you like!” That’s it. I went to town on him.

‘Patterns, blonde dye. Black dye, red dye, it’s crazy. I just think that when you’re on the top of your game, people have to come back really.’

Restrained: This was one of Mario Balotelli’s less extravagant haircuts

But while Balotelli was playing for Man City, Daniel also has a lot of connections with their rivals, United.

‘I like Rio Ferdinand, he’s got loads of banter. He’s always got the jokes for all the boys. Ashley Young – he’s my boy, big up Ashley Young.

‘I like Wazza as well, Wayne Rooney. He’s a good guy. All these guys, they’re just like me and you. They’re ordinary guys and they work hard and they’re just perfecting themselves as well.’

But there are a couple of their club-mates Daniel is looking forward to getting his hands on, if given the chance.

Asked who he thought needed to come and see him for a re-style, Daniel was unequivocal in his response.

‘There’s one guy. (Marouane) Fellaini. Listen, Fellaini. I love you loads yeah, mad banter, football, skills, but the hair-do… you need to come and see me. That’s all I’m saying. Speak to the boys. Come and see me.

He continued: ‘I’ve done a few hair dyes for some big athletes. You can’t be walking onto the pitch with some slight greys or if it’s looking a bit dull.’

Perhaps Fellaini could go for a cut with another Manchester United player – striker Robin van Persie, who, in recent years, has been greying. Has Robin asked for a cut?

‘Not yet but… Persie… Persie… Persie… that’s all I’m saying. Persie!’ joked Daniel.

‘If I’ve got a new client I will see what hairstyles they have had. The face shape’s important to me. I need to see what cuts they’ve had and which styles they’ve had that look absolutely horrendous.

‘Most of my haircuts I do to match face shape and I do it to suit them and it’s sharp. That’s the main thing.’

Young gunners: Daniel with Arsenal stars Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (left) and Theo Walcott (right)

John Terry

Ashley Young

Jermain Defoe

With such an individually crafted deal on offer, for some of the richest people in the world, Daniel has no price list.

‘The cost is varied. I get flown all round the world to do what I do. I run a very, very, bespoke service. So it just depends.

‘I can say that I get paid well. I am truly blessed with my hands and I am good at my job, so I get paid quite well.’

The most he’s been paid for a haircut? ‘A few zeros! I can’t tell you exactly what’s what… but I cut people from music producers, footballers, actors, billionaire oil tycoons.

‘The list is so huge. So obviously it depends… who wants to do what. My clients, all the time, get what they expect. Which is a cut-above-the-rest look.

‘Most hairdressers cut people who are good at what they do. I cut the world’s greatest. The stakes are very high.’

What’s next for Daniel? He’s been around the world cutting hair, even as far afield as the UAE, to cut hair for the Royal Family of Dubai.

‘I’ve got a few little things up my sleeve. I’m going New York soon, I’m gonna shut it down in New York,’ he promised.

Superstar DJ: Johnson with Manchester United’s Anderson (left), Man City’s Joleon Lescott (centre) and Fulham’s Darren Bent (right)

‘I’m gonna bring the Daniel J swag from here to there and let all the hair stylists know what time it is. No other hair stylist works harder than me. My work rate’s through the roof.

‘I’ve also been creating my own hair products. I’m quite hands on with it. You have to get the right smell.

‘A lot of wax and hair paste you get from the shops… it just smells horrible. When you’re dealing with some of the greatest people in the world, the last thing you wanna do after a haircut is give them a paste that smells completely wrong.

‘It’s taken me four or five months to pick the right scent but I’ve found it now and I’m trying to build up my own brand, “by Daniel Johnson”.’

You get the feeling that, with endorsements from some of the globe’s biggest superstars, that’s going to happen sooner, rather than later.

Daniel Johnson in his own words – on the best five footballers’ haircuts

1) David Beckham - His haircut has been quite popular this summer from football to reality shows and catwalks… as autumn / winter is hitting fast, keeping it a bit longer on the side is in demand.

2) Gareth Bale - The haircut that I gave Bale in this image is the most requested haircut in the world.  It was cut for his move to Real Madrid and has featured on the covers of countless magazines and newspapers. It’s still trending worldwide. To get this look, comb back to the side with short sides and a side part. Use a razor edge finish. This suits Gareth’s head and face shape perfectly!

 

3) Mario Balotelli - I did this haircut. It’s a really bespoke, designer cut. I created it with just a comb, razor and a water bottle… I used them to create a mirror effect, and designed the double sided design with the trademark mohawk down the middle.

4) Jermain Defoe - This style was created for the bold, iconic look. Jermain’s hair was dyed blond and then I shaved his head and finished with sharp razor finish. It was for an important England match so he was really happy when he went on to score goals in it with his new blond shell look. It’s a wicked style to have for summer but you need the confidence to rock it!

5) Wayne Rooney - Wayne’s hair was the hot topic this summer. In this image, I gave him a nice skin fade with french crop style. This finish was the most popular men’s look this summer. It’s easy to manage, is fresh and looks sharp!

Source: DailyMail UK