“Is that a joke?!” The reaction of Arsenal’s Mariona Caldentey speaks volumes as she discovers she will be asked questions about her fashion choices after scooping the Women’s Super League Players’ Player of the Year award (don’t worry, she was joking). When you’re not massively interested in how you dress, the Spain star - who wears a two-piece ensemble featuring a waistcoat with twisted buttons - says comfort and convenience are the most important things, with no need to go on a spending spree. “I'm wearing a suit with dark blue, because I feel comfy,” she says. “I had it ready at home, so it was easy.”

We all know that feeling of scrambling around for an outfit at the last minute ahead of an event that’s been in the calendar for months, racing around the shops and trawling the internet for inspiration. Championship Players’ Player of the Year, James Trafford, had a simple solution for that stress ahead of the ceremony in his hometown - reusing a suit he already owned and getting his girlfriend to do a bit of shopping for him at a very normal high street store. “Not going to lie, I got it [my suit] for the last awards, the club awards we had last season,” he says with a smile. The black suit is simple, and the Manchester City goalkeeper, recognised for his exploits with Burnley, has paired it with a black tie and black shoes. “My missus got me a tie from Next.” And the shoes? “I got them at the Trafford Centre,” he humbly reveals. It just goes to show that not every footballer wants to shell out half their paycheque on an ever-rotating wardrobe.

Another consideration for everyone who has more worldly experience than your average footballer is dressing age appropriately - something Southgate and Hayes were keen to achieve. “I'm conscious of not trying too hard to be down with the kids,” Southgate admits. “But also I think I'm still young enough and physically fit enough to wear fairly up-to-date stuff. But yeah, when you get to my age, you have got to find that right balance.” Asked how she would describe her personal style and choices on nights like this, USMNT boss Hayes - who wears a black Adriana Papell jumpsuit with big satin lapels - echoes that sentiment: “Just like Emma [laughs]. Classic, I would say. Classic style. Comfort, but classic. And middle-aged.”

We might put them on a pedestal as super-human players and tacticians when they are in the familiar surroundings of a football stadium, but it’s reassuring how human our heroes become when they are taken out of their comfort zone and are faced with the same mundane decisions as everyone else. From comfort-first to head-to-toe Dior, our PFA winners prove there’s no single formula for mastering the red carpet. Whether it’s a last-minute suit from the high street or a carefully curated designer look, it’s all about achieving that same individuality and self-expression that defines them as athletes and coaches.