Stoke City turned a few heads in the football World when they managed to secure the signing of Swiss winger Xherdan Shaqiri this week, somehow managing to convince the former Bayern Munich and Inter Milan winger than Stoke-on-Trent was the place to be.

Stoke fans will have been salivating over his YouTube highlights since the deal was confirmed, but pace and trickery aren't all he's bringing to the Premier League, no, he's also bringing a truly sensational nickname, that we are placing up there with some of the best we've ever heard in Premier League history.

Xherdan Shaqiri - The Powercube

That's right, Shaqiri was affectionately known as "Der Kraftwürfel" by fans of Bayern Munich, which directly translates to "The Powercube". His explosive pace, muscles, and stocky build are the reason, and we're going to try and refer to him as the Powercube as often as possible in the coming months.

Papa Boupa Diop - The Wardrobe

A star for Senegal at the 2002 World Cup, the intimidating physical presence that was Papa Bouba Diop was given the nickname "The Wardrobe" during his time at Fulham for being a big unit in the middle of the pitch. It's a cracker.

Robert Molenaar - The Terminator


Leeds fans gave Dutch defender Robert Molenaar a nickname inspired by Arnold Schwarzenegger because he was absolutely massive, and his receding hairline did make him look a bit like a T-800 under a layer of human flesh.

Fitz Hall - One Size

"One Size" Fitz Hall always pops up in a discussion of best nicknames, because it's absolutely brilliant. There's not much to say about it, it's just great.

Nicolas Anelka - Le Sulk

If ever a nickname suited a player, Anelka really was Le Sulk. Always moaning, moving clubs, and looking really, really disinterested with anything and everything, the miserable nickname suited him down to the ground.

Peter Schmeichel - The Great Dane


He was great, he was Danish, and he was also massive and liked to bark at his defenders. This one just made sense.

Cesar Azpilicueta - Dave

When Chelsea fans became fed up with trying to pronounce or spell Azpilicueta they all just decided to call him Dave, and the name stuck. In fairness, is it much easier to deal with.

Tomas Kuszczak - P.I.G. (Pole In Goal)

Again, the spelling of a difficult name led fans to get creative, and United fans decided that if Kuszczak was in the Manchester United lineup he would be known as the pig, or Pole in goal. It's catchy.

Fabrizio Ravanelli - The White Feather


Glorious. The iconic grey hair of Boro legend Fabrizio Ravanelli was what made him stand out on the pitch apart from his clinical finishing and delicate touch.

Stuart Pearce - Psycho

This one needs no explaining. On the pitch, Pearce was a bit of a nutter, and even today you still get the feeling that he's contemplating killing whoever is interviewing him.

Ray Parlour - The Romford Pele

Ray Parlour was never the most gifted player in any of the Arsenal teams he played in, but he was a local lad who the fans of the club loved, and thus was given a slightly complimentary nickname. Only slightly.

Darren Anderton - Sicknote

Much like Pearce, there's no explanation needed for one of the most injury prone players ever. A strong gust of wind could rule Anderton out for weeks.

The Blind Venetian - Massimo Taibi

Get it? Because Venetian blinds? Get it? Whoever came up with this nickname for disastrous United flop Taibi deserves some sort of plaque or award. Sensational.

Who have we missed? And more importantly, who is your favourite? Get in touch and let us know.