Metro - He might be a hardman central midfielder, but Iran ace Andranik Teymourian has shown his softer side this week after rescuing a butterfly from the pitch.

Teymourian, who enjoyed spells in the Premier League with Bolton and Fulham, is now playing for Esteghlal in his native Iran.

It was during their match this week against Buriram United in the Asian Champions League that he helped out a butterfly who was in danger of being stomped to death.

The 30-year-old is widely known as a crunching midfielder who can get stuck in, but he stopped the play to escort the insect to the safety of the side of the pitch.

But the story doesn’t stop there, because it seems that one good deed is always rewarded with another, after the footballing gods shined on Teymourian.

In his vast career so far, goals have been hard to come by. But just minutes after saving the butterfly, Teymourian hammered home a stunner from 35 yards to put his side through to the semi-finals of the tournament.

Good work, Mr Teymourian.