The return of the beard?

No not a terrible bar joke, but a mighty beard of course.

The Southampton midfielder has decided it's time to join the ranks of these great unshaven men by growing himself a face fringe.

So does this now mean that we are on the brink of a beardy comeback?

Returning Surman himself thinks the day of the hairy chin is upon us again.

"I grew it mainly because I had my hair cut short so I thought I would give it a go as I have never had a beard before," said 21-year-old England under 21 international.

"Everyone seems to comment on it but I think it suits me. I did get a bit of stick from the other players when I first turned up in the changing rooms with it.

"My missus didn't really like me having stubble before but now it's grown past that stage and is more of a beard she seems to like it. I'm going to keep it for a while but there's a lot of growing to do before I get a proper man beard," he added.

The footballer's facial follicles have been welcomed by the Beard Liberation Front, a group that campaigns against hidden prejudice towards people with beards.

Its spokesman Keith Flett, 51, said: "There are still plenty of employers who won't employ people if they have a beard so Andrew's beard is a positive step. He should keep his beard for now and see if it has an impact on the field as it could affect air currents.

"There are several reasons for growing a beard.

"There's the green argument where you can save resources by not shaving.

"But the main reason why people do it is because they don't want to spend ten minutes shaving in the morning before they go to work.

"But it also changes the shape of people's faces and adds gravitas and wisdom. I'm not sure about Noel Edmonds though."

Does your bloke have a gorgeous goatee or fantastic facial fuzz.
We're looking for Hampshire's Best Beard.
Send in a photo of your man - dad, brother, boyfriend or mate in all his hairy glory.
Email your picture to: newsdesk@dailyecho.co.uk