Arsenal's new 30 million-pound striker Alexis Sanchez has got the weirdest nickname in football.
The forward has already become a star at the Premier League club despite not having played a single competitive minute for the club after moving over from Barcelona.
Sanchez's childhood friend David Lopez has revealed that the forward used to be known as 'Squirrel' when he was playing on the streets of Tocopilla in Chile, due to his pace and agility rather than his tendency to go in high and aim for the nuts, Metro.co.uk reported.
Lopez said that Sanchez would play at school, in the streets and on a pitch near to his house, adding that he was only little and they called him 'Squirrel' because he was so quick and he was very agile.
The reason behind Sanchez working tirelessly on the field is simple, he isn't wooed by the money or the fame playing at the top level provides him, he simply wants to be the best footballer he can be.
Sanchez said that when he was a kid his mother was working and he did not like it that she was working. The forward added that when his mother was cleaning in the school he hid because he didn't like to see her there.
Sanchez said that if he had not become a football player he would probably have ended up working in the mine, or doing something else, something tough, but he would have done something. He added that he wanted to triumph as a footballer to help the family and the people of Tocopilla.
The Chilean forward also said that it was never about making money, the fame or the photos.
