The football world discovered him during the World Cup in Qatar, when he took to the pitch in the yellow jersey of the Australian national team against France. With his long hair held back with a rubber band and the unmistakable thin mustache of an accomplished actor, he instantly became one of those cult footballers that only the World Cup can produce. The myth surrounding Jackson Irvine does not end with his sporting achievements, however, but is fuelled by his off-pitch style, which consists of analogue photographs and vintage football shirts. The St. Pauli midfielder's love for football is truly a total one and capable to touch every element of his life. That is why he is the perfect protagonist for the new chapter of More Than. "For as long as I can remember, the football jersey was the only thing I wore when I was a kid. The first jersey I was photographed in was an old Aberdeen jersey, circa 1995, from the Scottish team from the city my dad is from, when I was a year or two old. My family came to Australia and brought me this jersey and a Scottish national team jersey," Irvine tells me, describing how his passion for jerseys is certainly not an Instagram invention.

In Irvine's case, you could even say that he started collecting jerseys even before he learned to walk. "Those were definitely the first two I wore. One of the strongest memories I have is that I got a Manchester United jersey when I was about five or six years old, around the time Manchester United won the Champions League and came to Australia to play a friendly against our national team in 1999. And yes, that was an iconic moment, so that jersey meant a lot to me as well" Growing up in Australia in a Scottish family, football was also a way for him to stay connected to his roots. "My father played in Australia at a good semi-professional level when we moved there and my maternal grandfather also came to Australia from the Netherlands and played here as well. Somehow it was football that brought many parts of my family together in Australia. So, yes, it was an important part of my life when I was very young." And Irvine followed in his family's footsteps, first playing in Scottish youth teams and then opting to don the Socceroos jersey, with whom he played in two World Cups as a star player. Clubs, on the other hand, soon took him away from the New World, first to Celtic, then to Hull City and finally to St. Pauli, where he found his ideal spot.

Which he has also never given up, because when I ask him if he would like to become the face of a brand or a collection, as many of his colleagues have done recently, the answer is always the same. "I prefer freedom" - which proves how unfiltered and unrestricted his image is. "Every aspect of my life, whether it's the way I dress, the music I listen to or anything else I do, has to be authentic, has to be genuine and really express who I am." Irvine does not forgo this direct and honest approach when using social media either, which allows him to give his fans a brief glimpse into his daily life. "The more we see players opening up and sharing their interests outside of football and expressing themselves a bit more freely, the better. It's just good for football and can help younger players be more confident." This focus on footballers' off-pitch appearance is also important in increasing interest in the Beautiful Game players. "People have started to realise that the football player and the human being are obviously two different entities and that the way you live your life off the pitch and the way you express yourself on the pitch is a completely different reflection of who you are," Irvine clarifies, despite being ever so authentic inside out. When I point this out to him, he still attributes this possibility to his club, St. Pauli, and the city of Hamburg. "For me it's great and it gives me the opportunity to show other people that there is an alternative to football. When you are part of a community and the people around you do not judge you and give you this freedom and space, you can finally express yourself."

And apparently, at least if you listen to his Instagram account, Jackson Irvine's self-expression consists of wearing an unmanageable number of old football jerseys. Even he does not know exactly how many there are, but he bets there are enough to open a small shop - "a decision that would make my girlfriend happy" But it would be like giving up a part of himself, a testament to his love of the game of football. "I have always been a fan first and foremost, and a lot of these clubs and players have played a key role in developing my passion for something that I think is much more than just a sport. And I have so many connections to the different kits, but they all have something in common, which is that they exude a certain kind of nostalgia." Like Proustian madeleines, the various game jerseys connect Irvine to his childhood, to memories of a past that still plays an important role in his life today.