His girlfriend has apparently dubbed him the ‘Putney Pirlo’ - but Kit Symons is glad the man in question is just plain old Jamie O’Hara.
It bothers the Fulham boss not a jot his new midfielder looks nothing like the Italian legend, but it made all the difference when O’Hara and the gaffer sat face-to-face.
The former Wolves and Spurs man convinced Symons he was the man for the job and won himself a contract by breaking his back pre-season without pay.
O’Hara’s last three seasons have been checkered to say the least. He was a hate figure for Wolves fans as he and they suffered before he departed August last year.
He also got it in the neck from ex-wife and model Danielle Lloyd who spelled out in national newspapers what she thought of him.
And though he was player-of-the-season at relegated Blackpool last term, he was on the mountainous list of free transfers by May.
Symons explained what happened next.
“He wanted to prove people wrong and that’s a great motivation,” the manager said. “He came in off his own back, but I like to eyeball new players and find out how committed they are.
“He really sold himself by just how passionate he sounded. Things didn’t go so well for him at Wolves, although he played well at Blackpool in a struggling side.
“He wasn’t getting paid with us, but he worked his socks off pre-season.
“I knew he could play, but that wasn’t the question. I wanted players who are motivated and driven and he’s proved himself to be that.”