Tall footballer players at a disadvantage

Taller men are able to earn more money than their shorter counterparts simply because taller people are perceived to be more intelligent and powerful, this according to a study published in The Economic Record by Wiley-Blackwell. But does this apply to tall football players or are they at a disadvantage? Well, all the evidence points to the contrary.

Professors at Wolverhampton University believe that the best top-flight sides have bigger and leaner stars and are statistically less likely to win trophies with smaller players. Their research shows size matters because “professional footballers are getting taller and slightly leaner…with a small but significant rise in Body Mass Index over four decades”. Indeed, the Telegraph reported in December 2009 that Andrei Arshavin believes a lack of tall players in the Arsenal squad puts the club at a distinct disadvantage when compared with their Premier League rivals.

So, who are the tall players? Who ate all the pies reported on tall football players as follows:

• Peter Crouch, Liverpool player at 6’7

• Konstantinos Chalkias, played for Portsmouth at 6’6

• Zat Knight, Aston Villa player at 6’6

• Dennis Lawrence at 6’7

• Zeljko Kalac, once Leicester City player at 6’7.5

• And possible the tallest player in the world, Yang Changpeng, he tried out for Bolton at 6’9

Tall football players have the added advantage because they are more successful at heading the ball both defensively and in attack and they can close down or limit opposition players’ ability to pass and distribute the ball.

However, the research contradicts the success of Man Utd whose team has sat on top of the league despite their striker Carlos Tevez being the ninth shortest player in the Premier League.

Still, research points to the fact that professional footballers are becoming taller and leaner and leading premier league teams to the top of the table. This indicates that football coaches and scouts should and are paying more attention to body shape in selections.

When these tall football players have finished their game, they still have the same struggle as all other tall men; that is finding clothes that fit!

Walktall have a fantastic selection of clothes sourced from well known brands especially for tall men.

Casual Male is another excellent retailer specialising in trendy clothes for tall men and features the most respected names in men’s fashions including Polo Ralph Lauren, Nautica, Cutter & Buck, and Reebok.

Burton is a well known high street brand with a selection dedicated to tall men..

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