The one feature women find even more attractive than six-packs? Veins! Experts reveal why Jude Bellingham's forearms in new Calvin Klein campaign leave fans hot under the collar

With a six-foot frame, chiselled jawline and Hollywood abs, Jude Bellingham has a legion of female fans who have now discovered another reason to swoon over him: the veins on his arms. The 23-year-old Real Madrid star was unveiled as the new face of Calvin Klein earlier this week, when the fashion giant released a 58-second video of Bellingham modelling its latest collection. Slick-chested and smouldering, the midfielder looked just as comfortable in front of the camera as he does on a football pitch, showing off every inch of the enviable physique that made him the World Cup's 'sexiest player' this summer. But one feature in particular caught viewers' fancy as women noticed Bellingham's rippling 'cephalic veins' on his forearms, giving the campaign slogan 'what matters is the icon underneath' new meaning. It's not the first time the footballer's impressive vascularity has caused a stir; during the World Cup, fans were struck by the prominent veins on Bellingham's thighs after photos from an England training session went viral this summer. The new Calvin Klein campaign has stirred a similar frenzy among women, but what about blood vessels makes them so appealing? Experts say one of the most common explanations is that visible veins trigger a 'primal' or subconscious response to perceived capability, adding that they are a general 'signifier of strength'. Sex and relationship expert Annabelle Knight at Lovehoney also said if you struggle to explain the attractiveness of bulging veins, it could be because they present as a 'wordless signal' about sexual competence. The 23-year-old Real Madrid star was unveiled as the new face of Calvin Klein earlier this week, when the fashion giant released a 58-second video of Bellingham modelling its latest collectio'Sometimes one feature gives our imagination somewhere to go,' added Kendall Maloof, a US-based licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT). 'An arm can suggest an embrace, a hand on your waist or the sensation of being held. 'Those are possible associations rather than universal explanations, but they help explain why a detail can feel erotic without being explicitly sexual.' Women have hailed Bellingham's 'gorgeous' Calvin Klein campaign as a work of art on social media, as he joined a select group of footballers who have stripped down to the bare essentials for luxe underwear brands. The clip, directed by Oliver Hadlee Pearch, was posted on Sunday and quickly set the internet aflame; at the time of writing, it has received over 36million views and nearly 50,000 comments on Instagram. Set to The Moody Blues' Nights in White Satin, the short film follows Bellingham as he models the new Icon Cotton Stretch trunks, briefs and boxers that retail for £44 for a three-pack. But women were distracted from the underwear by the veins on Bellingham's defined arms and tried to decode what about the circulatory system makes it so irresistible on Reddit. Since people who work out are more likely to have visible veins, due to increased muscle mass, lower body fat, and increased blood flow, Annabelle suggested women find them desirable because they suggest a man is healthy and looks after his body. 'As well as the point around veins being a potential signifier of strength and someone who looks after their body, they are also literal signs of life, so there may be a subliminal attraction in relation to this,' she added. Experts say one of the most common explanations is that visible veins trigger a 'primal' or subconscious response to perceived capability, adding that they are a general 'signifier of strength'. (Pictured: Hollywood star Zac Efron filming the Baywatch reboot in 2016) LMFT Kendall added that attraction often manifests through small details, adding: 'We do not always respond to a whole body at once.' The US-based therapist said that while 'part of the appeal' of prominent veins may be the 'association with physical strength', it could also be a quick response to 'perceived physical capability'. 'Research has found that perceived upper-body strength contributes to women’s ratings of men’s bodily attractiveness. That gives us a basis for discussing strength as part of the attraction, although it does not establish a specific preference for veins.' However, cephalic veins can emphasise the shape of an arm and make it look powerful or physically active, and 'there is something compelling about a body that looks capable of doing something', she added. 'A still photograph can suggest movement through the tension in a hand or the definition of an arm. That gives the image a sense of physical presence. You are looking at a photograph, but imagining an encounter.' This means that the attraction may be less about looking at a vein and more about imagining the person moving or touching you, Kendall added.But a feature on someone you already find appealing receives a very different reception from the same feature on a stranger you feel nothing towards, she shared. 'Once you fancy someone, even an ordinary detail can become evidence of how attractive they are. Desire makes us very attentive observers.'Annabelle also pointed out that veins on the forearm draw attention to the hands, and strong hands can convey sexual prowess, but Kendall cautioned that vascularity cannot definitely tell us whether someone is healthy, caring or sexually experienced. 'They can be an appealing visual detail, but the fantasy attached to them tells us more about the viewer’s desire than about the man’s character.'