Joe Hart, 39, reveals he’s had hair transplant to give his confidence a ‘boost’ – and shows off results

FOOTY ace Joe Hart has followed in the footsteps of his pundit pal Wayne Rooney by having a hair transplant. The former England and Manchester City goalkeeper revealed he underwent a treatment to give his confidence a “boost” – nine months after making his Match of the Day debut. Former goalie Joe Hart has had a hair transplant Credit: Getty Joe, pictured before his operation, underwent treatment to give his confidence a ‘boost’ Credit: Getty Hart, 39, acted to save his locks – which he famously showed off during his career in a Head & Shoulders ad campaign – after he realised they were thinning. The Premier League winner secretly underwent a 2,500 follicle FUE transplant last May. Sign up for the Football newsletter Thank you! And he showed off the impressive results while working for the Beeb during this summer’s 2026 World Cup, sparking speculation about his refreshed look. The keeper’s fresh summer look stunned so many viewers that comedian Paddy McGuiness joked on his football podcast: “Have you seen his hair? An unbelievable transplant. It’s like an Axminster [carpet]. It looks fantastic. I was like, ‘give me the name of that surgeon’.” Man Utd legend Paul Scholes smiled and added that pundit Hart now “looks like Action Man”. Since then Hart – who won five league titles with Man City and Celtic, four Premier League Golden Gloves and played for his country 75 times – has opted to come clean about having FUE surgery because, in his own words, “my hair was going.” And he has also revealed that his hair transplant, ‘has made me feel a lot more easy, comfortable and confident.’ Hart explained the reasons for having FUE surgery in an Instagram post on his hair transplant surgeon’s page. Most read in Sport He said: “I always had really thick hair growing up and loved having thick hair. I felt strong. I felt confident with it. Then my hair started to thin when I was in my early 30s. “I’ve come away from football now so I’ve got a little bit of time where I can take care of me, and I thought it was the right time to do it.” Hart’s 2500 follicle procedure was completed byDr Furqan Raja in May last year. The Leeds-based surgeon has worked wonders with the hair of several leading UK sports and entertainment stars. Joe Hart playing in goal for the Three Lions Credit: Getty Images – Getty Joe pictured before his hair transplant Credit: Instagram/TheDrRaja He most recently completed new Gladiators star and former England rugby player Joe Marler’s hair transplant to help him retain his trademark Mohawk cut. About his procedure, Joe said: “When it came to it, I had good people around me and I asked all the important questions of Dr Raja’s team, so I felt comfortable and I felt ready to go. It was always nice and reassuring to know I had the top man doing the work.” He also revealed that his hair transplant is the reason changing his look. Reflecting on his new buzz cut hairstyle, seen during his World Cup work, Hart said: “I’ve actually changed my style. I didn’t have shorter hair before. “People have asked me, ‘why have you got it done if you’re only going to have short hair?’ But I like having the option of either. If I want to grow it, I can. If I like it short, I’ll keep it short. Now, I can have the choice. “Before, if I’d have had short hair, I’d have felt I’d had to have done it because my hair was going.” Asked by Dr Raja if he’d expected such a transformation, Joe replied: “A good result for me would have been anything that improved what I already had – a little bit thicker through the middle, that I’d see when I was looking in the mirror or getting myself ready. Anything that could have been improved, would have made me feel better. “And confidence and looks-wise, it has helped me. If it hadn’t have worked it wouldn’t have broken my heart but the fact that it has, has made me feel a lot more easy, a lot more comfortable, confident.” Dr Furqan Raja explained how he undertook Joe Hart’s FUE hair transplant on his Instagram post. The surgeon said: “When planning Joe’s procedure, we carefully studied earlier photographs of him to design a natural contour that closely reflected the hairline he previously had. “Using FUE, we transplanted approximately 2,500 grafts to rebuild Joe’s hairline and add density through his frontal and mid-scalp regions. Then we tapered the area towards Joe’s crown. “A year on, I’m extremely pleased with how natural Joe’s result looks and there is still further maturation to come. “It has been fantastic to see the response to Joe’s hair over the past year, and particularly during television coverage of the World Cup last month. “Seeing Joe and his hair looking so good, as he provided expert analysis on the biggest stage, was particularly satisfying. “We are delighted for Joe.” Joe joins a long list of footballers who have had hair transplants. On the BBC he sits alongside Wayne Rooney who pioneered the procedure in 2011. Since then, Mohamed Salah, David Silva, Jurgen Klopp, Antonio Conte, Xerdan Shaqiri, Ryan Giggs and Andros Townsend, among other players, have had FUE hair transplants. Joe joined the MOTD studio panel following his retirement at the end of the 23/24 season and officially became a pundit on BBC’s Match of the Day in August 2024. Comment now