Top Five Football Players who also plays cricket
In this article, we will take a look at the top five football players who also plays cricket to develop in various ways apart from acing their professional football careers.
In the highly competitive and intensely diverse world of sports, cricket and football are considered to be the most viewed and followed sports on a global scale. With billions of fans and ardent followers around the world, cricket and football enjoy the highest fandoms, hailing from diverse backgrounds, countries and regions. While numerous prominent personalities have established themselves as pioneers of these two sports, only a few excel at playing both of them with the same passion and perseverance. The era of globalization and modern athletes like Joe Hart, Virat Kohli, Thomas Müller, Sunil Chhetri, James Milner and many others have led to an unprecedented yet glorious amalgamation of two incredibly competitive sports, cricket and football. The last few decades have witnessed numerous football players actively playing cricket as both their hobby and as a part of their fitness regime, undeniably gluing the two grassroots games together.
Sunil Chhetri
The renowned Indian football player, Sunil Chhetri, who has represented India at the prestigious AFC Asian Cup and SAFF Championship and recently surpassed legendary footballers Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo for scoring the highest number of international goals, is known for his strong inclination towards cricket. Chhetri had been drawn towards cricket since his childhood days but took up football as his professional career due to financial constraints. Sunil Chhetri has often been spotted playing friendly cricket matches and his fondness for the Indian cricket team and run-machine, Virat Kohli, has been felt by millions of fans across the country.
Gary Lineker
Former English professional footballer Gary Linekar has been inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame for his tremendous contributions to the national football team of England. Apart from representing England at a global level, Gary Lineker has also played for Barcelona, Leicester City, Tottenham Hotspur and Everton in his flourishing football career. One of the greatest and most prominent football players of his era and the current presenter of the “Man of the Match” series, Gary Lineker has a strong fondness for the gentleman’s game of cricket. In an exclusive interview. Gary revealed that he always wanted to pursue professional cricket but ended up becoming a football player. Furthermore, he revealed that he captained the cricket team of Lancashire School for five years.
Thomas Muller
Thomas Müller often referred to as “Radio Muller”, successfully led Germany to a phenomenal victory at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Muller was awarded a Silver Ball for being the second-best player and a Golden Boot for being the top scorer of the season. Muller’s unwavering inclination towards cricket was revealed after he took to his official X (formerly Twitter) account and posted a tweet wishing a glorious triumph for the Indian cricket team and the then skipper, Virat Kohli during the 2019 Cricket World Cup. Muller’s tweet that was dedicated to King Kohli was commemorated by millions of Indian cricket fans who followed football as well.
Joe Hart
Often hailed as one of the most iconic and legendary football players of Manchester City, Joe Hart clinched numerous titles, including the Premier League, the FA Cup and the League Cup. Joe Hart also represented the national football team of England at the prestigious UEFA European Championship and FIFA World Cup. During his apex time in football, Joe Hart was honored with multiple individual awards and titles, including Birmingham City Player of the Year (2009-2010), Manchester City Player of the Month( August 2010), Manchester City Performance of the Season (2010–11) and many more. While Joe Hart established himself to be an ace in the football arena, he also proved his caliber on the cricket field. Joe Hart made his professional career stint and played for Shrewsbury CC in the Birmingham and District Premier League. After being overlooked during the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Joe Hart inclined towards cricket and played for Shrewsbury CC. Recently, on 22 February 2024, he publicly expressed his desire to quit football and announced his intention to retire from professional football by the end of the 2023-24 season.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
The star footballer of the Liverpool squad, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, is often revered for his lightning pace and explosive dribbling skills on the field that have led him to some impressive accomplishments and glorious titles in the past, including the EFL Cup (2021-22), UEFA Super Cup (2019), FIFA Club World Cup (2019) and many more. While the modern-age football champ, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, is hailed to be a stalwart of Liverpool, he has also established himself as a top cricketing prospect. With his phenomenal and unmatched goalkeeping skills, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was approached by the selectors of the Hampshire County cricket team about being a wicketkeeper. However, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain turned down the offer and chose to pursue his football career. Nonetheless, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain continues to support his national cricket team and is often seen supporting his favorite cricket players, including Joe Root and Ben Stokes on social media.