12 Footballers You Must Follow on Twitter in the 2015/16 Season
You all know Twitter, right? It's a pretty big deal by now.
The social network has become a staple of our daily lives and a way that we can keep up with the latest news of our favourite teams and players in what feels like a deeply personal way.
But who are the most interesting players to follow, and what sort of things do they tweet?
Here are 12 you might like to consider following for the current season.
Juan Mata
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The first thing that becomes apparent from Juan Mata's Twitter account is that the Manchester United playmaker would appear to be just as thoughtful off the pitch as he is on it.
Tweeting in either perfect English or Spanish, the 2010 World Cup and 2012 European Championship winner updates his 4.9 million followers on his latest matches via series of photos, but what you really come here for are the links to his pretty impressive blog.
In his latest post, Mata discusses the win over Liverpool, upcoming fixtures for United and his interest in other sports including cycling and basketball, all creating an image of a pretty likable character as well as a likable footballer.
Follow Juan Mata at @juanmata8.
Jerome Boateng
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For many top-level footballers, Twitter is just a way to show that you are travelling to the next far-flung destination in the pursuit of three points, but there is a certain way to go about the "I'm on a plane again" tweet that can make it interesting.
Bayern Munich's Jerome Boateng—the Germany international who has quietly become one of the best central defenders in world football in recent years—is pretty good at that, and he mixes those with some fun at the expense of his team-mates to make for a pretty interesting account to follow.
Although Thomas Muller might not agree...
Follow Jerome Boateng at @JB17Official.
Riyad Mahrez
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Leicester City's terrific start to the season seems to have taken plenty of people by surprise, not least their most inspirational player.
Algeria's Riyad Mahrez has arguably been the best player in the Premier League this season, and if you were to follow the winger on Twitter, you'd see plenty of reasons as to why.
If you're going to follow him, then don't expect to read too many of Mahrez's tweets, but the 24-year-old is a prolific retweeter of whatever praise comes his way.
Given how well things are going right now, do you blame him?
Follow Riyad Mahrez (and read his retweets) at @Mahrez22.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
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If you're on Twitter and like football, then you're probably already among the 3.1 million people who follow Zlatan Ibrahimovic, but the regal Swedish forward could still use a plug from time to time.
With a profile that states the account is managed "by Zlatan and his management," it's pretty obvious this is something of an advertising exercise, but it still gives you a glimpse into the life of one of the most famous faces and egos in world football.
Indeed, there was a nice moment last month when Zlatan tweeted to congratulate his former club Malmo on reaching the Champions League, only for his Paris Saint-Germain team to immediately draw them.
Follow Zlatan Ibrahimovic at @Ibra_Official.
Sergi Roberto
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If you want to know what the sheer joy of playing for Barcelona feels like, then shun the big names and instead follow 23-year-old utility man and Catalonia-born Sergi Roberto on Twitter, as he might well be the happiest man in the world.
Posting images both before and after matches, Roberto—who has recently broken into the team at right-back following injuries to Dani Alves and Douglas—seems simply delighted just to be there, constantly reaffirming his commitment to the cause.
In August, he even introduced his followers to his new puppy Berlin, named after last season's Champions League final venue.
If you want a feel-good account to follow, then there are few better.
Follow Sergi Roberto at @SergiRoberto10.
Jonathan Walters
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We all know what we want to follow footballers on Twitter for, though, and that's some good old-fashioned "banter."
In the Premier League, one of the best at that would appear to be Stoke City's Jonathan Walters, who doesn't seem to take life in the top flight too seriously and is happy to have a laugh whenever he can.
Take transfer deadline day, when the Republic of Ireland international failed to secure a move away from the Potteries and hinted that a certain Dutch manager would be upset.
Follow Jonathan Walters at @JonWalters19. 15
Joe Gomez
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Playing in the Premier League for the first time at any age must be exciting, but when you're an 18-year-old who is starting at left-back for Liverpool, then you've also got plenty to talk about.
Teenager Joe Gomez has impressed Reds fans and general onlookers with his displays at the start of the season, particularly so in Liverpool's first three matches during which they didn't concede a goal.
A virtual unknown to many fans before the season, Gomez is now approaching 100,000 Twitter followers, with whom he shares photos from matches, his favourite songs and his general excitement at just being a Premier League regular at his tender age.
Follow Joe Gomez at @J_Gomez97—yes, he's that young!
Dele Alli
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Another young gun making his way in the Premier League is Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Dele Alli, who has impressed many at White Hart Lane already with his energy, intelligent use of the ball and eye for goal.
Alli already has a Premier League goal to his name after finding the net against Leicester City last month, and following his first start in the win at Sunderland last weekend, he's being tipped by many to go far.
Like Gomez's, his Twitter account is steadily growing followers, all of whom are updated on his latest games and occasionally wished a pleasant Monday.
Follow Dele Alli at @Dele_Alli36.
Didier Drogba
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At the opposite end of the scale to Gomez and Alli is Chelsea legend Didier Drogba, who can these days be spotted in MLS wearing a Montreal Impact kit that looks very similar to the ones he used to sport at Stamford Bridge.
You might feel as though you know all there is to know about one of the titanic figures of world football over the last decade or so, but following Drogba's new life in Montreal certainly makes for interesting Twitter reading; from his humble reaction to seeing an old Chelsea banner at a recent match to his show of respect for old rival Steven Gerrard after facing LA Galaxy.
His mind is never too far away from the Premier League, though, and it's clear that he was very impressed with the goals from Christian Benteke and Anthony Martial in the recent Manchester United vs. Liverpool clash.
Follow Didier Drogba at @didierdrogba.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
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If anything, you're really just coming here for the header picture that shows Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as Batman and his Borussia Dortmund team-mate Marco Reus as Robin. After that, you'll pretty much put up with anything.
But there's a sense of fun about Aubameyang's tweets that suggests this is a footballer who is really in love with what he does, and his form at the beginning of the season for Dortmund shows that, too.
The fact that Reus, Nuri Sahin, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Adnan Januzaj are retweeted shows that the Gabon forward must be a popular member of the squad, and it's easy to see why.
Follow Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang at @Aubameyang7.
Toni Kroos
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As stats play an increasing role in modern football, players are being asked to monitor their own performance like never before.
For some, that would appear to be a burden, but for others, such as Real Madrid's German World Cup-winning midfielder Toni Kroos, it is something they are actively embracing.
Via his Twitter account, Kroos asks his 3.3 million followers to head to his website and keep track of his live stats every single time he steps out on to the pitch, clearly not worrying about the possibility of having an absolute nightmare.
That's probably what winning the World Cup does for you.
Follow Toni Kroos and his stats at @ToniKroos.
Saido Berahino
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We all saw it, even though he's now deleted it.
Saido Berahino's tweet suggesting he would never again play for West Bromwich Albion under the current chairman—as reported here by the Daily Mirror—can now no longer be found on his profile, and the forward has already been back on the pitch for the Baggies despite failing to engineer a move to Tottenham.
His first tweet since that episode—a cheeky look during a team photo session—suggests he is now in a somewhat better mood, but his account should certainly be fun to monitor over the weeks and months ahead.
Will he ever get to play, Jeremy Peace?
Follow Saido Berahino at @SBerahino.
