It’s very cold in England these days. Well, very cold FOR England at least. All that snow and gusting northern winds makes a chilly day’s work for the men in shorts. Long socks take care of part of the leg, wicking compression shorts cover the rest. More thermal material for the chest, but what about the poor naked neck?

Enter: the snood. First seen warming the adam’s apple of Turin fashionisto Gigi Buffon (not to forget Francesco Totti’s contribution), the plush neck cozy has made an impact in active play in this year’s Prem campaign. We may have let it pass if not for the abundance of them in the City v Everton match: Carlos Tevez may have been the first to don the floppy piece of fabric for City, but in this latest game he was joined by teammates Balotelli, Toure and Silva. You’ve also got Chamakh and Nasri wearing them at Arsenal, and Maxi and Reina over at ‘pool.

For now it’s only foreign-born players from warmer climates, but given the tendency for winter to become colder in January and February, it’s only a matter of time before an englishman falls. Odds suggest it’ll be James Milner, both because of peer pressure at City as much as for him trying to disguise his complete lack of a neck.