Balotelli shows his softer side

According to reports in the Sun, the generous Manchester City striker gave £1,000 to an improverished stranger outside a casino, after a night out with Blackburn Rovers' Chris Samba at a casino yielded a £25,000 win.

Balotelli, reportedly on £100,000 a week at the Citizens, was reported to have a heart of gold for the homeless that pass his way around Manchester.

A source in the reports said: "Mario is really generous. He always hands £20 notes to the Big Issue boys without even taking the magazine.

"There's a guy he always sees around town with ginger dreadlocks and a beard. He carries his possessions in two carrier bags.

"He was outside the club in the early hours so Mario handed him a wad of notes after his big win. The tramp couldn't believe his luck. It was enough to keep him going for months."

However, the player's sensitivities seem to take a turn for the worst on the pitch, with Balotelli constantly in the headlines for his on-field behavior.

Most recently, Balotelli was involved in a scuffle with Manchester United's Rio Ferdinand after the Citizen's knocked out the Red Devils in their 1-0 FA Cup semi-final win. He was also warned by his own club after throwing darts at youth team players at their Carrington training ground, just shortly after the Italian had been sent off against Dynamo Kiev in the Europa League.

So far this season, Balotelli has already shelled out £300,000 in fines, and one wonders how much more generous the Italian could be with the improverished if he behaved as well on the pitch as he behaves off it.