Building the perfect footballer
Technology has evolved and with that so too has football. Players are becoming fitter, stronger and more durable, as sports scientists across the globe strive to find the formula that breaks barriers and enables an individual to become the perfect footballer.
It's a big ask and we've undoubtedly got a long while to wait until we see our first 'artificially' created player; that said, we've seen enough talent over the years to craft our own imaginatively.
Here I cast my eye over the potential blueprint for the 'perfect footballer' - an amalgamation of players excelling in different areas of the game. What would this individual have exactly?
The Pace of... Gareth Bale
Just under four years ago, the Welshman was clocked sprinting 40 km/h in a game against Villareal, which equates to nearly 25mph, just 2 mph behind Usain Bolt's world record pace. There are plenty of other candidates for this position but, with the ball at his feet, there is countless evidence to suggest that Bale is the fastest footballer on the planet.
So not only does he have acute agility, a fine eye for goal and good movement on his side, but he's also a speed demon on the ball. He's been recorded as 3 km/h faster than Ronaldo and could apparently run the 100m in 11.4 seconds as a 14-year-old.