Former Barcelona goalkeeper creates new dating app 'Hola!'

The Middlesbrough goalkeeper posted a video to Twitter explaining how the app works.

Forget Tinder, forget Match.com... there's a new dating app in town, and it's been created by the most unlikely of sources.

'Hola Dating' is the new kid on the block; the brainchild of former Barcelona and current Middlesbrough goalkeeper Victor Valdes.

While many professionals go into coaching at the end of their playing careers, the 34-year-old appear to be setting himself up for the future in a slightly different way.

The app, currently being perfected by designers and engineers at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, has been developed as a new way of matchmaking random singletons.

Speaking about the process in a video posted to Twitter, Valdes said: 'Here I'm on the app and the system says "Hola" and gives me a brown-orange colour. The system is giving me a completely random colour.

"Then, I show this message to the person I want to start a conversation with and that person can search for me and my profile thanks to the colour I've shown them. So then, we can start a conversation in a private channel.

"We think that in the dating world, you can feel attracted to someone on the bus, the metro, in a cafe, or in a college or club.

"But, you don't necessarily have the courage to approach them and break the ice. Therefore you need this app."

On the pitch, Valdes kept his first clean sheet as Boro keeper against Arsenal on Saturday.

Previously, the Spain stopper had conceded in all six of his Premier League appearances for the North East club, but he will surely be hoping to keep his run going when Boro face Bournemouth this weekend.