Spikes29 May 2015


Rudisha's a Gunner

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David Rudisha Arsenal

A small part of David Rudisha's heart lies in the red and white corner of North London. The Kenyan 800m world record holder tells us about his passion for the Premier League giants Arsenal FC.

“Many people in Kenya support Arsenal, and I started supporting them after I left school. My coach supports Arsenal and many of my friends do. Everyone I know seems to support them, except my agent, who supports Tottenham Hotspur [Arsenal's fierce north London rivals].

“I have always liked the way that they play. Their co-ordination is really fantastic. I used to first follow them by watching them in the tea shops – we really like our tea in Kenya – and in the restaurants. A big room full of people used to watch them play on the TV.

That's one heavy firm

“I played a little bit of football at school. I was mainly a defender – either a number four or five. I used to occasionally be moved to number 11 [on the left wing] for my speed, although my right foot is stronger than my left foot when playing football.

“I was lucky in 2012 in that I got the chance to go to the Emirates Stadium to watch Arsenal play Leeds in the FA Cup. It was a big moment for me, and my favourite Arsenal memory. Thierry Henry scored the winning goal, which was really special because my favourite all-time Arsenal player is Thierry Henry. It was fantastic to watch a game live and see Thierry score.

“I was a big admirer of his when I first saw him play for France in the World Cup, so it was great to see him later play for Arsenal. Of today's players I really like Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. He is an aggressive player and an energetic young man. I like to watch Arsenal play. They play the best football.

Rudisha even grew a red beard to show his support for the Gunners

“I also spend part of my European season based out of Germany, and I enjoyed watching Germany win the last World Cup. It is also worth mentioning that Arsenal have a high number of German players currently in their squad [including Mesut Ozil, Per Mertesacker and Lukas Podolski].

“Which Arsenal player would make the best 800m runner? Hmm, I'm not sure. I think many of them would make good 100m and 200m sprinters. If I could pick any player in the world to play for Arsenal I would say Ronaldo. He is a great player and a great goalscorer and he would be a big boost for us.”