Who do Liverpool need to sign to retain the title? Keep up with all the Reds news with our free daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Footballers often have hobbies to keep themselves occupied away from the game.

Some start their own chain of restaurants, others dabble in modelling and PR work, while some play poker and then forget to pick up their winnings *cough* Max Kruse *cough*.

But none of that cuts the mustard for Liverpool 's Joe Allen.

He has revealed in an interview with Chicken and Egg Magazine (yes, it's a real magazine) that he enjoys swapping the Kop for his coop to look after his 16 pet chickens.

The midfielder keeps the fowls in his garden and takes care of them with his wife Lacey.

(Image: Chicken and Egg Magazine)

He said: "Lacey was behind the decision... we both have an interest in animal welfare but she came up with the idea to save hens and I agreed it was something that would be great to do.

“We didn’t have any hens growing up but wanted to help chickens after they finished their commercial lives."

Allen has names for each of his chickens, which include two cockerels and 14 hens.

(Image: Reuters / Phil Noble)

The cockerels are called Bruce and Rodney, while the hens are named Meg, Leg, Silkie Steve, Kate, Silkie Steve junior, Giblets, Snowy, Nugget, Kiev, Dora, Holly, Shimmer, Shine and Chickaletta.

Allen even revealed that Lacey bought him a cockerel for his 24th birthday - and he was delighted with the surprise.

But Allen is just like every other husband when it comes to doing the cleaning.

He quipped: “I’d be lying if I said it was me... as soon as it’s time to clean the coops I disappear! Unlucky Lacey!”