Snoods are the latest fashion statement to sweep the Premier League, but Sir Alex Ferguson said they will not be seen by any of his players at Old Trafford any time in the near future.
The thick, circular neck-warmers are increasingly being used by players to combat the freezing temperatures that have descended on Britain over the past few weeks.
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Carlos Tevez, the Manchester City striker, is arguably the most well-known snood-wearer, while teammate Yaya Toure and Marouane Chamakh and Samir Nasri of Arsenal, who face United at Old Trafford on Monday evening, have also been seen wearing the accessory in recent matches.
But Manchester United's players reportedly have been told by Ferguson, their manager, that snoods will not be tolerated at the club.
"Real men don't wear things like that," Ferguson told The Sun, and added that he had banned the use of the trendy neck-warmer.
Rio Ferdinand, the United defender, backed up that claim by posting on his Twitter account: "I'm telling u peeps, U won't see a Man Utd player wearing a SNOOD."
More than an item of clothing to insulate the neck during a cold snap, the snood is seen by some as a fashion accessory for the softer footballer.
The snood, a word originally used to describe both hairnets and a distinctive headband worn by unmarried women in Britain centuries ago, may be a relatively modern phenomenon in the English game but they are not new to international football. Dani Alves, the Brazil and Barcelona full-back, wore one during the Confederations Cup in South Africa last year and Gianluca Pagliuca, the former Italy goalkeeper, often sported what looked like a snood during his playing days with Inter Milan.
Until recently, footballers in Britain who were keen to stay warm during the winter have more commonly worn gloves. Former Liverpool, Newcastle United and England midfielder John Barnes was criticised for wearing tights during matches in the 1980s and 1990s.
