Don Strapzy is the godfather of football punchlines. From his F64 freestyles to becoming an ever-present part of football culture in the UK with his very own team, SE Dons, Strapzy is now an established name in the game when it comes to both bars and ball.

The Dons are now also firmly solidified as the kings of grassroots football, having mixed their hustle and bustle with sick tekkers and real ambition to become a household name in the scene. The family club are arguably one of the biggest draws on YouTube at the moment, with over 160,000 subscribers and an official adidas sponsorship, and Strapzy has been at the heart of taking his club viral.

It is very easy to forget that away from the Dons, Strapzy is, first and foremost, a sick MC renowned for bringing football punchlines to prominence before it became commonplace in the scene. Over the years, Donnie has shelled down a plethora of footballing bars and gone in as hard as prime Vinnie Jones on the microphone.

We’ve been seeing your comments about how Donnie deserves respect for his work rate over the years, but we’ve known for time that when it comes to football lyricism, Strapzy is one of the scene’s biggest pioneers. Here are 10 of Don Strapzy’s best baller-inspired bars that demonstrate exactly why he’s up there with the best when it comes to the football flows.

https://youtu.be/tfFMprcRMe0

1. Don Strapzy – 'Fire In The Booth Pt. 1'

“Bust your knee caps like that don Keane / So you don't wanna slip huh, Rob Green”

Strapzy's debut Fire In The Booth visit sees him confidently compare himself to midfield menace Roy Keane – as a man who can damage – and warning his rivals not to pull "slip up" like Rob Green notoriously did with England at the 2010 World Cup.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwIIbtbgcVY

2. Don Strapzy - 'Khabib'

“Man can’t play in The Jungle and think I’ll let it slide / G I'm breaking up the play, I think I’m Declan Rice”

The Jungle is SE Dons home pitch, as much as this bar refers to “the jungle” of life. Strapzy, who is often deployed at CM for the Dons, usually models his game on breaking up opposition play and stopping them from getting comfortable on the ball. Playing around? Donnie will cut it out – in a similar fashion to England and West Ham baller Declan Rice, who is also a big fan of the Dons.

https://youtu.be/ht1tw7Iyi8E

3. Don Strapzy – 'Wrongen'

“Man thought they had the title/ But I'm back now, they've thrown it away, they're Arsenal”

Strapzy makes light of Arsenal's habit of failing to land the Premier League crown, and says his appearance on a mic causes all other MCs to slip up in the same way.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KHkc7xcqpw

4. Don Strapzy – 'Familiar'

“Hot property but still frozen, I’m next up I think I'm Phil Foden"

Flexing his status as an ice cold MC as well as being on the come up, Strapzy compares his trajectory to Man City and England baller Phil Foden, one of the most exciting young players in world football.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KHkc7xcqpw

5. Don Strapzy – 'Familiar'

“Bando, got me killing Europe / Call me Sancho”

Jadon Sancho notoriously took over European football he switched Man City for Borussia Dortmund back in 2017, and here Strapzy lays out his determination to do the same with his music.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zttth5DJcck

6. Don Strapzy – 'Warm Up Sessions'

“Big tings sing, Pavarotti / In the car low, Ancelotti”

Strapzy reels off the word play by reflecting on his life on the streets alongside two famous Italians in opera tenor Luciano Pavarotti and much-decorated gaffer Carlo Aneclotti.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S35AvPdIF_c

7. Don Strapzy – 'I’ll Do It'

“My mates might rob ya, try get rid of me / But I came back, I’m Pogba”

On “I’ll Do It”, Strapzy lets loose on how people have tried to get rid of him in various ways – including business endeavours or the football field. He does so by reeling off a bar on United star Paul Pogba and his grand return to Old Trafford for a world record fee after the French World Cup winner previously left the club as a youngster for Juve.

https://youtu.be/cQQH9ECbRbA

8. Don Strapzy – 'Matcho'

“Chasing Sterling like I end up on the wing / I remember when we never had a thing”

Strapzy uses a couple of double entendres to compare his come up to England and Man City star Raheem, saying that his desire to get money (Sterling) by any means necessary could have seen him end up on a prison 'wing'.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgMIGDbbAo4

9. Don Strapzy – 'Football Freestyle'

“A night out at Bridge, I might John Terry man’s wife”

Here, Strapzy unleashes some verbal volley on another nostalgic football moment: the facade between Wayne Bridge and John Terry. Donnie references taking another person’s partner on a night out like Terry did to Bridge, also the name of a nightclub in SE.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwPKyAWwh10

10. Don Strapzy – 'Pogba Face'

“They don’t wanna put my name on no flyers / Coming back, I’m taking over, Ole Solskjær”

On “Pogba Face” Strapzy discusses how he couldn’t care less about promoters not being favourable to booking him – as he aims to take over in a similar fashion Ole did when returning to United.