Footballers who could have been Olympic sprinters from Thierry Henry to Traore
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As track and field takes centre stage at the Tokyo Olympics, some footballers could be forgiven for thinking what might have been.
While there's no suggestion James Ward-Prowse is a dab hand at shot put or Phil Jones has a hidden gift for pole vaulting, there are plenty of players who are very good at running.
Team GB sprinter Adam Gemili is one of those who successfully made the transition from the football pitch to the athletics track; he'll go to Tokyo with an excellent chance in the 200m.
But what about the stars who could've been Olympic sprinters but stuck to the beautiful game instead?
Daily Star Sport take a look at eight speed demons who might've won gold, had their career turned out slightly differently.
Theo Walcott
There are few players more rapid than Theo Walcott. Even at the age of 32, he still tears up and down the wing at a rate of knots.
During his time at Arsenal, the winger recorded a 40m sprint time of 4.42seconds, beating the previous record held by Thierry Henry.
At school, Walcott ran the 100m in just 11.58s, a time that would surely have only improved as he increased his strength.
Thierry Henry
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Thierry Henry holds the record for one of the fastest top speeds ever recorded in a major league, clocking in at 39.2km/h in 1998.
Dazzling pace was one of the former Arsenal striker's greatest weapons – just ask ex-Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher.
During an FA Cup tie between the two sides in 2007, Henry showcased his speed by essentially assisting himself, latching onto his own pass to score while leaving Carra on his backside.
Gareth Bale
There's only one image that comes to mind when one thinks about the speed of Gareth Bale – that goal against Barcelona in 2014.
After pushing the ball beyond Marc Batra, Bale quite literally ran off the pitch, through the technical area, and then back on to score an incredible goal that amazed even Usain Bolt.
Commenting on the Welshman's speed, which clocked in at 21.54mph, Bolt said: "A goal any sprinter in the world would like to score. He's the fastest footballer in the world."
Adama Traore
It's not difficult to work out how Adama Traore earned the nickname 'Usain Bolt' during his time in Barcelona's academy.
The 25-year-old, who clocks speeds of up to 22mph and even lubricates his arms to make it harder for opponents to grab onto him, was once told by former Olympic champion Darren Campbell to slow down.
Speaking to The Telegraph in 2018, he said: "At Middlesbrough, Darren told me I didn’t need to run at 100 per cent as I didn’t realise how fast I was."
David Odonkor
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Former Borussia Dortmund and Real Betis winger David Odonkor might be the fastest footballer ever.
The 16-cap Germany international once clocked an official time of 10.6s for the 100m, which is quicker than some of the numbers posted by athletes in Tokyo's 100m preliminary rounds.
Unfortunately for Odonkor, several serious injuries forced him to retire from professional football at the age of just 29.
Kyle Walker
There's a reason why Kyle Walker is loved by both Pep Guardiola and Gareth Southgate.
On top of his natural defensive ability, the 31-year-old also has natural pace, allowing him to make important recovery tackles.
The former Tottenham man might be getting on now, but he's more than keeping up with the youngsters coming through.
Speaking ahead of Euro 2020, he said: "Who would win a 100m race at England? Me. If anyone told you different, they’d be lying!"
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
During his time at Borussia Dortmund, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was timed sprinting at a speed faster than Usain Bolt.
He ran the 30m in 3.7s – almost a whole second faster than the iconic Jamaican in his record-breaking 100m in Berlin in 2009.
At one stage, Aubameyang was even forced to deny saying that he was faster than the eight-time gold medal winner.
In 2013, he wrote on Twitter: "I never said I'm faster than Bolt, I just said I can run 30m in 3.7 seconds."
Marcus Rashford
Most people believe Daniel James is the fastest man in the Man Utd squad – but that honour actually belongs to Marcus Rashford.
According to the club's official website, the England international clocked a season-high speed of 36.26 km/h against Chelsea last season.
The 23-year-old certainly accelerates like a sprinter, so perhaps it should be no surprise to see him at the top the of United's speed charts.
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