City star Mario Balotelli has brought a unique splash of stardust to the Premier League – and now his status as a global fashion icon has rubbed off on an Ardwick bakery.

Balotelli, 21, is pictured in the latest edition of Vogue Italia frequenting several unlikely haunts in Ardwick Green, including a garage and office block.

The controversial striker, a regular at Milan Fashion Week, was a world away from the bright lights and catwalks of his former home as he was pictured posing outside The Uppercrust bakery, on the aptly-named Cakebread Street, for the upmarket magazine.

Owner John Sutcliffe, who has run the bakery with wife Kateryna for 18 years, said he was stunned when he found out his shop had graced the glossy pages of the world-famous magazine.

He said: "We only found out when a customer told us and it’s certainly not every day a shop around here is in Vogue magazine. I like the shot, and you can clearly tell it’s our shop in the picture. We’ve had production companies film in the shop before so it’s used to the cameras, but it’s something to tell the customers that we’ve had Balotelli doing a fashion shoot outside."

United fan John is no stranger to the glamourous side of football having previously catered for star names such as Ryan Giggs and Jamie Redknapp, but said he was happy to have his cafe associated with the Blues star.

He said: "I like him. I have no animosity towards City and like them to do well, as long as it’s not at the expense of United! I think it’s good for the city to have players like Balotelli playing here and to have two strong football teams, so he’s more than welcome in here any time."

The shoot was produced by Ardwick-based creative agency Photolink, who took the superstar for a stroll near their offices on Thirsk Street to capture the stylish shots.

Balotelli was recently named second best-dressed man in Britain by GQ magazine and his Ardwick shoot saw him featured as Vogue’s cover star.

The former Inter Milan hotshot has won cult status for his madcap antics – and the Vogue photoshoot was not the first time his infamy has spread to the streets of Greater Manchester.

Last October, his Cheshire home was set on fire when a firework went off in the bathroom just 48 hours before scoring in the Manchester derby at Old Trafford.

In December, he stunned parishioners at a Chorlton church by turning up for midnight mass and leaving a £200 donation. Earlier that day, he was also photographed outside a pub in Wythenshawe where he was said to have bought drinks for Christmas revellers.

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