Inside Bradley Barcola’s life off the pitch from his love of Japanese anime to how FIFA inspired his squad number

BRADLEY BARCOLA is set to join Liverpool after a £120million deal was struck with his club, PSG. The France international 23, who was also a target for Arsenal, has chosen Anfield as his next destination. Bradley Barcola is set to sign for Liverpool in a £120million deal Credit: Getty Images Over the years, Barcola has expressed his love for Japanese anime Credit: Alamy And, he will be hoping that the north west can keep up with his demand for Japanese manga. Winger Barcola is a huge fan of anime and has several tattoos dedicated to his favourite comic books and Studio Ghibli films etched on his body. Sign up for the Football newsletter Thank you! While, there’s a hidden reason behind his unusual choice of squad number, 29. It stems from his love of FIFA 17 and a dedication he made as a youngster that when he made it as a pro, he would take on those digits. Read more football features Barcola’s life off the pitch is as colourful as it is on it. Japan’s culture When he was a boy, growing up in Villeurbanne, a suburb of Lyon, Barcola became fascinated by Japanese culture. Specifically, it was the mangas and animes that peaked his interest. His favourites included Spirited Away, Tokyo Ghoul, Jujutsu Kaisen, and Princess Mononoke. Most read in Sport In homage to Japanese culture, Barcola has back tattoo of a samurai wearing a Hannya mask. Credit: Unknown Growing up, Barcola was obsessed with Spirited Away Credit: Alamy A section of Barcola’s forearm is dedicated to characters from Spirited Away Credit: NurPhoto via Getty Images And it was a passion that continued well into adulthood, as Barcola had tattoos of his favourite anime creations drawn onto his body, as well homages to Japan’s culture. He has a massive back tattoo that features a samurai wearing a Hannya mask. The backdrop of that art work sees blooming cherry blossoms, as well as a traditional pagoda. On his lower forearm, there is an entire section dedicated to the characters of Spirited Away. Ken Kaneki from Tokyo Ghoul is paid tribute to on Barcola’s arm. While a Ryomen Sukuna etching is also evident on the footballer’s shoulder. Finally, he has plenty of references to the iconic anime film, Princess Mononoke inked on his body. “I get asked that question a lot, especially when people see my tattoos,” he told Club Legacyz. “The answer is simple: it comes from the mangas and animes I used to watch when I was younger. “Those stories, those characters, they always inspired me. It even made me want to get tattoos of references on my arms. For me, it’s a way to carry those inspirations with me, wherever I go.” Last year, Barcola collaborated with Club Legacyz to create a manga-inspired collectors edition football. It featured Japanese text, cloud motifs, illustrations, including artwork of Barcola’s own goal celebration and elements representing his path on the pitch. Last year, Barcola released a manga-inspired football Credit: Unknown Barcola said he wanted the ball to represent who he is Credit: Getty Images Priced at around £68, it soon sold out when it was released. He revealed: “When we created this special ball, I wanted it to reflect who I am. The Japanese universe, the clouds, the manga style… It’s everything I love. Even my celebration is represented on it. “It’s crazy because it feels like it’s 100% me. This ball is a mix of my passions and my identity on the field. That’s why I love it.” Video games played there part too It’s not just Japanese manga that shaped Barcola’s personality growing up in France. Like many footballers of his age, video games played a part during his downtime, away from the playing pitch. Like many, it was FIFA (now known as EA Sports FC) that took up a lot of his time. And its central character from its “the journey” story mode, featuring fictional rising star Alex Hunter, left a mark on the Frenchman. After playing out Hunter’s path to stardom many times on his PlayStation, Barcola chose the ultimate dedication to the video game character. Should he make it in the game, he will adopt the same squad number. Barcola previously said: “When I was younger, I used to play FIFA. In the story mode with Alex Hunter, this number became symbolic for me. Barcola wears the unique squad number 29 Credit: AFP via Getty Images FIFA 17 character Alex Hunter famously wore the number 29 Credit: Unknown “I thought to myself: “The day I go pro, it’ll be number 29. “And here I am, I adopted it, and now I’ll never let it go.” That goal celebration… Usually, Barcola celebrates his goals by pointing towards the heavens. “Every player has their own way of celebrating, and for me, it’s by pointing my fingers to the sky,” he said. “I thank God for everything He’s given to me. It’s my way of paying homage to Him every time I score.” But, one celebration sticks out more than others. After scoring against Marseille at the Stade Velodrome in October 2024, he did something different. In honour of former PSG midfielder Blaise Matuidi, pulled off the signature vulture-like “Charo” move, which was originally popularised by Matuidi from French rapper Niska’s track. Religious Barcola often celebrates his goals by pointing to the sky Credit: Getty Images After scoring against Marseille in 2024, he pulled out a celebration in honour of Blaise Matuidi Credit: PSG via Getty Images “I had already planned to do the Matuidi Charo celebration,” Barcola said. “The night before, I was watching videos of his old matches, and I told myself, ‘If I score tomorrow, I’ll do this.’ “And when I scored, it was instinctive. Doing it in front of a packed Vélodrome… magical.” Liverpool fans won’t mind which celebration they see, as long as the goals flow. Comment now