Football is as much about your mental skills as it is your physical or technical ability. Some of the very best players we've ever seen have earned that very accolade because of what goes on between their ears. Having anticipation, vision and composure is key.
Of course, it always helps to have technical ability. But, there are certain attributes in football that you just can't coach. Pace is one of them. You can teach a player how to get better at finishing or how to read a game better. But you cannot teach someone to be faster; you're either born with blistering speed or you're not.
At GIVEMESPORT, we have put together a list of the ten greatest speed merchants in football history. These players have made this list because, without their freakish pace, they likely wouldn't have played anywhere near the level they went on to reach.
10 Inaki Williams
Notable Teams Played For: Athletic Bilbao
Inaki Williams
Inaki Williams is quite simply one of the most athletically gifted footballers in recent times. The Athletic Bilbao forward holds the record for the most consecutive La Liga appearances, largely thanks to his incredible stamina and speed.
Whilst his younger brother, Nico Williams, is promising to have a much more decorated career, Inaki can have the family bragging rights when it comes to who is the quickest.
Williams has been clocked at 21.9 mp/h, per Footysamba, and his direct running style makes him a nightmare for defenders, especially when he can continue these lung-busting pacey runs deep into matches.
Appearances 458
Goals 110
Assists 63
Top Speed 21.9 MPH
9 DeAndre Yedlin
Notable Teams Played For: Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United, Galatasaray
DeAndre Yedlin
When you think about speed merchants, players like DeAndre Yedlin spring to mind, because without their unique athleticism, they probably wouldn't even be professional footballers.
The American full-back built his career on his explosive pace, which allowed him to make crucial defensive recoveries and contribute to his team's attacking play with his overlapping runs.
Yedlin's technique on the ball has always been poor, so even if he did beat his man and get to the byline, it wasn't always a guarantee that it'd be a quality ball into the box for a teammate to get on the end of. During his Premier League days with Spurs and Newcastle, Yedlin was clocked at 21.8 mph, per the 18.
Appearances 327
Goals 6
Assists 27
Top Speed 21.8 MPH
8 Mykhailo Mudryk
Notable Teams Played For: Chelsea
mudryk chelsea
The Ukrainian winger, Mykhailo Mudryk, has been one of the fastest players in Europe in recent years, reaching speeds of 22.7 mph in the Premier League for Chelsea.
Whilst his rapid pace and great agility make him a nightmare for defenders, he is still developing the final end product to match his incredible speed. Though at 24 years of age, it really does feel like it's now or never, or else he'll be considered one of the biggest flop signings in the Premier League, considering his huge price tag of £88.5 million.
Appearances 102
Goals 14
Assists 17
Top Speed 22.7 MPH
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7 Aaron Lennon
Notable Teams Played For: Tottenham Hotspur, Everton
Aaron Lennon
Ranking at number seven is Aaron Lennon. The former Tottenham Hotspur man is one of the fastest wingers of his era, and one of the quickest British players ever recorded, with a speed of 21 mph, per Red Bull.
Lennon was known for his low centre of gravity and rapid bursts of speed. His quick feet and acceleration allowed him to beat defenders with ease. Even though he wasn't the most consistent when it came to end product, during his time with Spurs, he was one of the most feared wide players in the Premier League for a period – all thanks to his pace.
Appearances 479
Goals 37
Assists 65
Top Speed 21 MPH
6 Timo Werner
Notable Teams Played For: RB Leipzig, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur
Timo Werner in action for Tottenham Hotspur
Timo Werner has been one of the fastest strikers in world football over the last decade or so, and it's his incredible burst of acceleration that led to him making a huge name for himself in the Bundesliga before coming over to the Premier League.
When looking at his stats, 102 goals in 257 Bundesliga matches seems pretty good. But when you dive deeper into the numbers, you can see that even in seasons when he scored 15+ goals, particularly in the 18/19 and 19/20 seasons, he was missing 20 big chances or more each campaign for Leipzig.
Quite frankly, the German international is a poor finisher, but his pace allows him to be on the receiving end of dozens of good quality chances. Werner has been clocked at a top speed of 22.1 mph by the Premier League.
Appearances 406
Goals 171
Assists 73
Top Speed 22.1 MPH
5 Hector Bellerin
Notable Teams Played For: Arsenal, Barcelona
Hector Bellerin for Arsenal-1
Before picking up a number of major leg injuries, Hector Bellerin was seen as one of the quickest and brightest full-backs in European football. The former Arsenal man had great recovery pace to get back on the goal-side of the attackers and snuff out the danger.
Equally, he was a threat on the outside, providing an overlapping option, and he was always one good switch of play away from getting in behind the opposition. Bellerin once recorded a top speed of 21.6 mph, as per Dispensable Soccer. Since getting his injuries though, he has not been anywhere near the same player he was during his best days with the Gunners.
Appearances 288
Goals 14
Assists 30
Top Speed 21.6 MPH
4 Obafemi Martins
Notable Teams Played For: Inter Milan, Newcastle United
Obafemi Martins celebrates scoring the second Newcastle United goal with team mates Kieron Dyer and Antoine Sibierski.
Ranking at number four is Obafemi Martins. The Nigerian forward was renowned for his explosive pace and agility, often making defenders look slow in comparison.
Martins, who played for clubs like Inter Milan and Newcastle United, was often the smallest player on the pitch. But, he used his low centre of gravity to its full advantage. According to Football Effect, Martins once recorded a top speed of 20.8 mph.
For many, Martins is a flashback to the days of the Barclays Premier League, back when the bright yellow Nike ball was in use. His pace was his best attribute and if he had just a little more about him, he may have achieved so much more.
Appearances 369
Goals 132
Assists 52
Top Speed 20.8 MPH
3 Theo Walcott
Notable Teams Played For: Arsenal, Everton, Southampton
Theo Walcott celebrates scoring vs Reading
Theo Walcott was undoubtedly one of the fastest players of his generation, as we saw on many occasions for Arsenal. The former England international would use his burst of pace to get by opponents down the left wing and cut inside onto his stronger right foot.
Before his career became hampered due to injuries and his pace deteriorated, the modern-day Arsenal legend logged an incredible top speed of 22.2 mph, per Sportskeeda, making him one of the deadliest players in transition for both the Gunners and Arsenal.
Walcott was never the most technically gifted of wide players, but his pace more than made up for it. He is one of the fastest British players in football history but without his speed he probably wouldn't have made as big an impact of the game.
Appearances 420
Goals 87
Assists 56
Top Speed 22.2 MPH
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2 Adama Traore
Notable Teams Played For: Barcelona, Wolves, Fulham
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Arguably the most explosive player on this list, Adama Traore combines raw speed with brute strength. Not only is it difficult to catch up to him, it's also a tough challenge to knock him off the ball.
The former Wolves and Barcelona winger has previously been clocked at a blistering 23.61 mph in training and has reached speeds of 22 mph in games. On average, he clocks speeds of over 21 mph on the pitch, per the 18.
In terms of ball control and first touch, the Fulham man doesn't have the best touch, but that does not matter because he can catch up with the ball when he takes a heavy touch anyway. Traore's reliance on his pace and power makes him one of the most one-dimensional players in football history.
Appearance 356
Goals 27
Assists 53
Top Speed 23.61MPH
1 Dan James
Notable Teams Played For: Manchester United, Leeds United
Daniel James
Dan James is really the epitome of a 'speed merchant'. The Welsh international is frighteningly quick, and it was this standout attribute which made him excel at Swansea City before earning a £15 million move to Manchester United in the summer of 2019.
James is not just quick over short distances, he can keep his pace going over 30+ yards, making him virtually unstoppable once he gets into his stride. In 2022, the winger recorded a top speed of 21.8 MPH, as per Breaking the Lines. For reference, Usain Bolt's record 100m time of 9.58 averaged out at 23.3 MPH, so to even be in the same ballpark as that is a feat in itself.
James has been a consistent threat throughout his time in the Championship, scoring 27 goals and adding 25 assists from 102 appearances. His explosivity makes him the ultimate counterattacking weapon, as he's shown for both Swansea City and Leeds United in England's second tier. That said, without his speed he would be half the player – hence why he struggled in the Premier League where you need to have dimensions to your game.
Appearances 258
Goals 46
Assists 49
Top Speed 21.8 MPH
All stats taken from Transfermarkt, Breaking the Lines, the 18, Sportskeeda, Football Effect, Red Bull, Footy Samba, and Premier League Official - Correct as of 07/03/25.