#1 Gareth Bale
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The Welsh international has honed his skills to become a complete player over the course of the years. With his pace, power and fearsome left boot, Gareth Bale finds himself in the league of the best footballers in world football, currently. But at the heart of it all, is an incredible athlete!
In his teens years, Bale used to blitz past his peers in 1500m and 100m events, even holding a record for completing the 100m dash in a record 11.4 seconds as a 14-year old!
He has taken his speed from the running to the football field as he regularly clocks 34.7 km/hr speeds during matches with a recorded top speed of 36.9 km/hr. Such is his stamina and quickness that he earned praise from world record holder Usain Bolt post the 2014 Copa del Rey final against Barcelona where he darted across the field, leave his defenders for dead and finish with aplomb.
(Video Courtesy: Teo CRi YouTube Channel)
Bolt had then hailed him as the "fastest footballer" when he said, "He showed his great speed when he swept past the defence and then kept his cool and slipped the ball under the keeper’s legs. It seems his past as an athlete [in Cardiff Institute] helped him in this move. It's a goal any sprinter in the world would like to score one day. He's the fastest footballer in the world at the moment."
