Pace merchant Fanimo in rush to catch up

CARDIFF MATCH SEALS A DREAM FOR MATTHIAS

HE WAS once officially the fastest footballer in the world – quicker than Gareth Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo and Anthony Martial.

Now former West Ham youngster Matthias Fanimo will be looking to make up more ground when he makes his Champions League debut this week. Fanimo – a former England junior team-mate of Raheem Sterling – will look to go one better than the Manchester City star by staying in Europe’s top tournament. His FK Sarajevo side face Connah’s Quay Nomads tonight at the Cardiff City Stadium in the first qualifying round. Lambeth-born Fanimo, 26, joined the Bosnian club in July, continuing a football odyssey which has also seen him play in Slovenia.

He said: “I was recorded using a GPS tracker in an Under-23 game against Blackburn in 2014. I got the same result as Antonio Valencia –

9.8 metres per second – and they told me I was the fastest player in the world using that system.

“That was a good day for me, but it is not a title I want to be remembered for. I want to be known for my footballing ability.

“I always dreamed of playing in the Champions League and it was that ambition, added to my love of the game, that kept me going through some tough times.

“I’ve had a lot of injuries that would have forced other players to give up. But I’ve persevered, got myself to full fitness and can’t wait to hear the Champions League anthem this week.”

Fanimo joined West Ham aged seven and spent 15 years with the

Hammers, making three first-team appearances under Sam Allardyce.

But his career went from top gear to reverse when he left the Premier League side in 2015 and non-league stints at Bishop’s Stortford, Eastleigh, Margate and Hornchurch followed.

He gambled on a stint in Slovenia with second division side Drava Ptuj. He got fit, scored 19 goals and got a move to Bosnian side Mladost Doboj Kakanj.

They did not want him to leave but the coronavirus crisis worked in his favour and he is now with Sarajevo. He said: “My main goal is to come back to the UK and prove myself by playing in the Championship or Premier League. “Playing in Europe has been really good for me, but I’d love to make it back home. It’s great seeing some of my former England team-mates like Raheem and Nathan Redmond having such great careers. Seeing what Raheem can do really spurs me on and that’s the level I know I can play at. “Everyone’s path to the top is different and things are just starting to go in the right direction for me. I don’t ever think about what might have been. “I’ve missed a lot of football, but that means there are still plenty of years left in me.”