Despite all the manhandling and roughhousing that can transpire on a football pitch, size does not grant someone an immediate advantage, after all, skill remains equally important.
Due to this, football stands apart from the likes of American Football and Basketball, as it does not require a certain physical profile, at least in terms of height.
This is evident if we simply look at the two greatest players of our generation, Leo Messi stands at 5’7 which pales in comparison to Ronaldo’s 6’1, and yet the two have always been neck to neck in terms of success.
This aspect of the game can lead to some very contrasting figures sharing the same pitch, and the images are always intriguing to look at.
Fans received two recent examples from the Premier League featuring some truly towering players.
Thiago Alcantara reaches Wout Weghorst’s shoulders
It’s no secret that Burnley like to employ players of a certain profile.
Their style of play is admittedly not the most free-flowing or technical and they often rely on a defensive approach.
And their methods are aided by tall figures, explaining their purchase of Wout Weghorst.
The Dutchman who stands at 6’6 is one of the tallest players in the league, and this image serves as the perfect example of his towering stature.
He can be seen standing next to Liverpool midfielder Thiago, who comes in at 5’9.
The size difference in Thiago and Weghorst 😭
— ً (@_Riddxck) February 13, 2022
The differences are evident as Thiago is essentially as tall as Weghorst’s shoulders.
— ً (@_Riddxck) February 13, 2022
Ryan Fraser gets eclipsed by Dan Burn
A busy transfer window for Newcastle United saw the arrival of striker Dan Burn from Brighton amongst others.
The Englishman who stands at 6’7 can now call Scottish international Ryan Fraser a teammate.
Fraser happens to be one of the shortest players in the league, standing at 5’4, which is in fact shorter than everyone’s favourite little Frenchman N’Golo Kante.
Due to this fact, fans eagerly awaited the first pictures of Fraser and Burn sharing the pitch, and their wishes were fulfilled during Newcastle’s game against Aston Villa.
These two images in particular really highlight the difference.
Standing next to Burn, Fraser isn’t able to get anywhere near the centre-back’s shoulders.
#NUFC pic.twitter.com/spV5XxNwub
— 0ContextNUFC (@0ContextNUFC) February 13, 2022
In the other image, Fraser finally trims the height difference albeit with a leap, one which only just manages to eclipse Burn’s height.
Loving the fact Ryan Fraser has absolutely launched himself into the air yet is only JUST higher the big Dan Burn! 😂😭#NUFC #NEWAVL #BHAFC pic.twitter.com/k7UT8heIAJ
— NUFCblog.co.uk (@NUFCblogcouk) February 13, 2022
Leave a comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.