Joe Hart's new look: Ex-England No. 1 flaunts apparent hair transplant ahead of Soccer Aid as former Man City star links up with football royalty

Hart reported for Soccer Aid training sporting a newly sheared buzzcut. Once famed for his shock of blonde hair, a lovely barnet which garnered him a lucrative sponsorship deal with shampoo brand Head and Shoulders back in the 2010s, the fresh look was a change of pace for the recently retired shot stopper. Rather than a re-design of a receding hairline, it appears the former City and England star has opted for the procedure to increase the thickness of his follicles.

A video on Hart's Instagram posted just nine days ago showed the 38-year-old with a full head of hair. Pictures from a suit fitting in the buildup to Sunday's annual charity showpiece revealed Hart's reddened scalp, a tell-tale sign of a trip to Turkey.

Hart will appear between the sticks for England, as they take on a Rest of the World team at Old Trafford on Sunday. The England team boasts other former Three Lions stars including Wayne Rooney, Gary Neville, Paul Scholes, Steph Houghton and Jill Scott.

Luckily for Hart, the game will be kicking off at 7pm, lessening the need for the keeper to sport a hat or slapping on the SPF 50 to protect his recovering scalp. The former Celtic keeper is likely to log 45 minutes of action, splitting time with Paddy McGuinness. To our knowledge, the Phoenix Nights and Top Gear star has yet to undergo his own procedure, but we have our suspicions.