Speed is something that always grabs our attention. Heck, the Fast and Furious folks even made a franchise out of it. A player running at full speed is a delight for the fans and a nightmare for the opponents.
In football, speed is a very important attribute in a player. The ability to cover a large distance in a short amount of time often gives the player an advantage over the rest. Indeed, sometimes speed alone is the reason why a player makes it to the starting XI.
On that note, here are five of the fastest players in football.
#5 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Some say that the Borussia Dortmund star is so quick that he could Usain Bolt a run for his money. Indeed, the Gabon star once challenged the Jamaican Olympic Gold medalist to a 30 metre sprint race, something that hasn’t taken place yet, but would surely be an interesting match-up.
According to a study by Mexican club Pachuca, that calculated the top sprint speed over the last year of the players, Aubameyang is the fifth fastest player in the world with a speed of 34.6 kilometres per-hour. Not good for someone who seeks to beat the great Usain Bolt in a 30 metre. In a pure football sense, however, he is a nightmare for the defenders to face.
#4 Antonio Valencia
Whenever such lists are compiled, the Manchester United man has to feature. He might not have been a very consistent player over the years, but his speed has remained steady, regardless of where he has played.
According to the same study conducted by Mexican club C.F. Pachuca, the Ecuadorian hits a top speed of 35.1 kilometres per hour. It should also be noted that the winger-turned-full back had a surgery on his ankle in 2015, which reduced his pace a little.
Had it not been for these niggling injuries, he might have been higher on this list.
#3 Jurgen Damm
Jurgen who? Many of you might be wondering who this is and I speak to those when I tell you he is a Mexican midfielder who plays for Liga MX club, Tigres. Wait, what? What Mexican is named Jurgen Damm? His paternal ancestry is German, so now it makes sense.
According to the study, Damm can clock up to 35.2 kilometres-per-hour at full pelt. A look at his sprinting style reveals that he uses long strides to traverse a large distance over a short period of time, helping him generate the kind of pace that he does. And if he uses his gifts properly, we might see him in Europe at some point.
#2 Orlando Berrio
No, no, no, not Orlando Bloom, but Orland Berrio, a Columbian that you have probably never heard of. He plies his trade in the Brazilian Serie A for Flamengo and is the fastest player in the league and, according to the same study by F.C. Pachuca, the second fastest player in the world.
The Columbian hit a top speed of 36 kilometres-per-hour, making him one of the most difficult players to stop when running at full pace. Given that he is already in his late 20s, it is unlikely that he will make the move to Europe, but nevertheless, he remains a difficult winger to defend against.
#1 Gareth Bale
And, finally, the second most expensive player in the world. Gareth Bale has made a career out of properly using his insane speed. The Welshman destroyed Maicon to such an extent that the latter’s career suffered a downward spiral ever since facing the former Spurs man.
It was this pace that ruined Marc Bartra in the final of the Copa del Rey in 2014 and it is this pace that left Anaitz Arbilla in tears on the bench. It is no wonder that the former Southampton wonderkid is now the fastest player in the world with a top speed of 36.9 kilometres-per-hour, making him one of the hardest players to defend against.
