Arsenal forward Kai Havertz has revealed that wearing long sleeves while playing football is a superstition he has developed over the years, saying he now feels uncomfortable wearing short sleeves, ravenewsonline reports.
Havertz made the revelation on Friday in an “Ask Me Anything” session published on Arsenal’s official website, explaining why he continues to wear long sleeves even in extremely hot conditions.
The Germany international said the habit had become part of his routine on the pitch and that he could no longer imagine playing in short sleeves.
“It’s a superstition,” Havertz said. “I think it’s the thing I just feel most comfortable with on the pitch, I don’t know why, but I can’t look down and see my body and see my arm without a shirt.
“It just developed like this, and people were laughing at me when I turned up in the World Cup or in the training camp in Singapore, 45°C with a long sleeve in training or in the game.
“But that’s how I like it, and my head just always tells me to wear long sleeves, so I can’t wear short sleeves anymore.”
Havertz has maintained the habit throughout his Arsenal career, with supporters noticing that he has worn long sleeves when scoring his goals for the club.
The forward also kept the tradition during Germany’s World Cup campaign, despite temperatures rising above 40°C.
Havertz has made a strong start to the new season, scoring in three of Arsenal’s first four competitive matches.
He scored against Manchester City in the Community Shield before finding the net against Coventry City and Chelsea, putting him level with Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard as the club’s leading scorer so far this season.
The German also scored Arsenal’s opening goal in last season’s Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain, although the London club eventually lost the match.
Despite the defeat, Havertz described the goal as his favourite in an Arsenal shirt, saying the moment produced the best feeling he had experienced on a football pitch.
“The emotional feeling after I scored the goal, after the celebration, the goosebumps, it was just incredible,” he said. “In that minute, I think that was the best I’ve ever felt in my life on a football pitch, so I think that was my favourite one.”
