5 world class footballers who could have made it big in other sports

Footballers are naturally talented athletes, so it is unsurprising that a number of individuals nearly made it big in other sports. No matter the sport, athletes need self-discipline and a strong work ethic to succeed, and due to the physical nature of most sports, skill sets often overlap, such as with rugby and football.

Every footballer on this list showed promise in other sports. However, the lure of playing football professionally was ultimately the deciding factor. Nevertheless, it is fascinating to speculate on what it would be like to see our favorite footballers playing in different sports, and here are five players who could have made it big in other sports.

#5 Gareth Bale

Gareth Bale is a natural athlete who has used his power and pace to become one of the best forwards in the world. Power and speed also happen to be two skills that are highly sought after in Rugby, and as a teenager, the Welshman seriously considered pursuing a career in the sport instead of football.

The Real Madrid man also competed in Hockey and Athletics. However, when the time came to seriously focus on one sport, football ultimately won. It is fair to say that this was the right decision, as Bale has firmly established himself as one of the most feared forwards in the world.

#4 Theo Walcott

Walcott spent most of his career at Arsenal

Theo Walcott is the same age as Gareth Bale and the pair came through the same academy at Southampton. This is also not where the similarities end, as Walcott was widely known for his incredible pace.

The ex-England international is one of the fastest players the Premier League has ever seen, and it is widely believed that Walcott could have had a career in athletics. Walcott himself has stated that he can run 100 meters in just 10.3 seconds, and this begs the question of how fast the 29-year-old could have run with years of technique training.

#3 Wayne Rooney

Wayne Rooney is England's all-time top scorer with 53 goals

Back in 2003, Wayne Rooney famously announced himself to the Premier League as a 16-year-old. The then-unknown teenager scored a last-minute winning goal for Everton that ended Arsenal's 30-game unbeaten run, and Rooney practically became a household name overnight. In the following 15 years, Rooney went on to become England's all-time leading scorer while also winning multiple honors during a lengthy stay with Manchester United.

Nevertheless, it could have been very different as Rooney fell out of love with football just years ahead of his breakthrough goal against Arsenal. The striker reportedly wanted to focus on a career in boxing but was ultimately convinced to stick with football by his parents. The 33-year-old was already a gifted boxer and those close to Rooney have also stated that he had a good shot of making it as a professional.

#2 Joe Hart

Joe Hart enjoyed most of his success with Manchester City

Despite Joe Hart's career going drastically downhill over the last few years, the Burnley goalkeeper has still had a successful time in football. Back in 2012, Hart helped Manchester City to end their Premier League drought, and the 31-year-old also spent seven years as England's number one goalkeeper.

Despite this, Hart could have followed a very different path, as the goalkeeper seriously considered pursuing a career in Cricket. Hart was offered a place in a professional cricket club as a 15-year-old, and those that watched him play have stated that the former Manchester City man had a good shot at making it professionally. While Hart ultimately chose a career in football, the goalkeeper made an appearance for his local cricket team last summer, and there have been rumors that Hart could look to play cricket full time in the future.

#1 Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is now playing in the MLS for the LA Galaxy

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is one of the best players of his generation. However, the former Barcelona man is known just as much for his personality off the pitch, as he is for his performances on it.

Ibrahimovich's height and strength have made him an imposing force that opposition defenders struggle to cope with, and it is not hard to imagine the Swedish striker as a combat fighter.

Ibrahimovic even obtained a black belt in Taekwondo at the age of just 17, and the Swede seriously considered a career in the sport. The striker's passion for the sport is clear as he continues to practice combat sports, however, Ibrahimovic ultimately chose football as his career path, and there is no doubting that this was a wise choice.

Edited by Zaid Khan