Premier League cult hero's son is totally unrecognisable after retiring from football at 25

The son of a former Chelsea and Spurs star looks like a totally different person just six years on from retiring from football.

Most footballers see their appearances alter after retirement, whether that be a change in body shape after stopping intensive training or simply ageing naturally, but Gus Poyet’s son Diego has taken this to the next level.

Diego’s father Gus enjoyed a successful career playing for Premier League sides Tottenham and Chelsea before going on to manage Brighton and Sunderland, as well as several other clubs around the world.

The Uruguayan has two children, Matias and Diego, with the latter also becoming a professional footballer like his father.

Diego came through Charlton Athletic’s academy, making his first-team debut in 2013 before going on to make 20 appearances in the Championship during the 2013/14 season and securing a move to West Ham United in 2014.

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However, he struggled to settle at Upton Park, going on to make just five appearances for the Hammers during the 2014/15 campaign.

In 2016, the player decided to part ways with the East London club by mutual consent. Diego played just 10 times for West Ham, having also enjoyed loan spells at Huddersfield Town, Milton Keynes Dons and Charlton.

By 2017, the Spain-born midfielder had signed for Argentinian club Godoy Cruz before leaving after three appearances, later describing his time in South America as a "nightmare" during an interview with Sky Sports.

"In Argentina you can only have four foreigners at a time for each season," he said. "The club I signed for already had four players, but a Uruguayan striker was set to leave the day after I arrived.

"He was their star striker but he went to do his medical and failed.

"It got out in the news, so the other three players occupying the international player slots didn't want to leave. So no one was going to sign the striker and I was left as the fifth player.

"I was there for six months and could only play in the Copa Libertadores, where you can register new players for that but not for the league.

"It was a nightmare, it was the worst time of my life. I was in Argentina, living by myself, training week in, week out and for six months I could only wait for the Copa Libertadores.

"When it came around, the manager was hesitant to play me as I hadn't played a game in months and had to decide if he wanted to play a player who hasn't played and isn't match fit. It was a nightmare for me. I struggled on and off the pitch, as I was struggling to play and I was away from home for the first time properly, so it was a very hard time for me."

A year on, Diego was playing his football at Cypriot side Pafos, but much like his experience at other clubs, it failed to work out, and by 2020 the Spaniard had called time on his professional career at just 25 years old.

Now, six years older at 31, Diego looks completely different, boasting a muscular physique and shaved head, having previously cut a slender figure with long hair.

Speaking about his son’s strict gym routine in 2023, Gus said: “From what I understand, because I’m not a specialist, is he’s 100 per cent in everything that he does - to the top.

“For example, we went to dinner one day and people will have a beer or a glass of wine - no chance. He doesn’t touch alcohol. Never.

“We finished dinner and we put three or four desserts in the middle; proper, proper desserts. I love them, but he doesn’t touch them.

“So his way of behaving, what his aim is, he’s 100 per cent, he’s not 99 per cent. His way of training, knowing when he needs to grow, when he needs to slim down, when he needs to do a kind of diet, it’s all proper."