Back of the net! Football-themed horses as a new season kicks off

To celebrate the start of the football season on Saturday we take a look at some horses who share a name with some of the sport's popular figures

Defoe

The former Tottenham, Sunderland and Portsmouth forward Jermain Defoe is still scoring goals at the age of 36 for Rangers, and his prolific equine namesake is pretty good, too.

Defoe has won nine of his 19 starts and the Roger Varian-trained gelding is enjoying a fine season with victories in the Coronation Cup and Hardwicke Stakes.

Defoe: a Group 1 winner this seasonCredit: Alan Crowhurst

Plenty of horses have been named after other England internationals, among them Bobby Moore – who ran in the 1970 Champion Hurdle – Fox Vardy and Rooney.

Bielsa

Leeds United are firm favourites for the Championship and they start their campaign on Sunday afternoon against Bristol City. Their manager is Marcelo Bielsa, who has worked at Lazio, Marseille and Argentina in his managerial career.

Leeds United manager Marcelo BielsaCredit: Getty Images

Highbank Stud, whose yellow, blue and white silks are the same colours as Leeds United's, have plenty to be excited about with Bielsa, who has won both of his starts.

Other managers who have had horses named after them include Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp and Rafa Benitez.

Zlatan

Zlatan Ibrahimovic, as famous for his ego as his brilliance, has won domestic titles in Spain, Italy, France and Holland. At the age of 37 the Sweden striker remains every bit as talented and is still firing in the goals in the MLS in the US.

The six-year-old Zlatan, in training with Ed de Giles, had a frustrating season last year, finishing second six times and only winning once. He was last seen falling in the maiden hurdle at Plumpton won by Pentland Hills.

Other horses named after international stars include Aguerooo – a nod to the famous commentary of Manchester City's title-winning goal in 2012 – and Zidane, who won the Stewards' Cup in 2007.

The Romford Pele

Arsenal legend Ray Parlour, nicknamed The Romford Pele, may not have played with the same flair as the Brazilian, but he certainly played a key role in the great Gunners team of the early 2000s and scored an outstanding goal in the 2002 FC Cup final against Chelsea.

The Romford Pele: winner of nine racesCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Just like Parlour, racehorse The Romford Pele was a relentless trier and enjoyed a fine career, winning nine races, including the Summer Cup in 2014. He sadly suffered a fatal injury last season.

Molineaux

John and Heather Snook opted for the orange and black colours of Wolverhampton Wanderers on their silks, which have been carried to Cheltenham Festival and King George success by the brilliant Thistlecrack.

The Snooks have an eight-year-old named after the Premier League club's stadium – although it is spelled with an additional 'a' – who has emerged as a decent prospect over fences, winning at Wincanton last season.

There have also been horses named Anfield, Stamford Bridge, Goodison Park, while in the US Kaleem Shah has enjoyed success with German-themed Bayern and Dortmund.

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