Xhaka reveals the reason for his new haircut that he first debuted on a ski trip

The reason for former Arsenal star Granit Xhaka's new haircut, which was first seen in photos from a recent family ski trip, has been revealed.

Xhaka stunned fans on social media last month when he was spotted with a shaved head, in stark contrast to his wavy locks of yesteryear, while on holiday with his wife Leonita Lekaj and their two children.

The Swiss star has been a pillar of strength for Bayer Leverkusen's impressive team, which is going from strength to strength under manager Xabi Alonso.

Last season, the German team went on a 51-match unbeaten streak, helping Bayern Munich win the Bundesliga title and the DFB Pokal.

They are currently just four points behind Vincent Kompany's Bavarian side in the league, having lost just one game this season, and are a decent fourth in the Champions League with 13 points from six games.

The 32-year-old is experiencing a kind of Indian Summer in his career. He made 25 appearances in all competitions, dominating midfield and providing five assists.

But like many men, aging can bring hair loss. In an attempt to address this, the midfielder has undergone a hair transplant at the Ozone Hair Clinic in Kosovo.

Part of the procedure was even documented in a video uploaded to the clinic's Instagram page.

Xhaka is currently enjoying a long winter break, with the next match against Borussia Dortmund on January 10, five and a half weeks after their last game – a 1-0 win over Bayern to advance in the DFB Pokal.

Before the break, Xhaka showed his qualities as captain in an incendiary interview after a draw against Wolfsburg, when he called on the team to 'be honest with each other' about their current level.

“We don't need to talk about injury time here,” Xhaka said unsolicited, according to BILD. 'We have to be honest with each other, self-critical enough: this is not enough!

'It cannot be the case that we concede three goals every match. Especially the way we concede goals.

'It is not the case that the opponent takes us apart, combines nicely and then scores the goals. It's just that we're not making runs good enough.

'We call ourselves a top team. But a top team doesn't concede three goals in 45 minutes!'