21 June 2023 , 11:26
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Adama Traore's has revealed a surprise ambition to play American football after he was approached to join the NFL during his time with at Barcelona.
The Spanish international's dazzling speed and powerful running made him one of the most unique talents in the Premier League and after returning from six months in his homeland he was a mainstay in the Wolves squad once more. The 27-year-old's skillset makes him a useful weapon for coach Julen Lopetegui and his compatriot used him 40 times last term.
Previously, his ex-teammate at the Midlands club Romain Saiss has explained that the former Middlesbrough star could have swapped football for a new career in the NFL after he was offered the chance to swap sports during his temporary spell at Camp Nou.
The swashbuckling winger chose to rebuff the advances of the unnamed NFL teams and returned to his parent club instead for the new season. In an interview with RMC Sport back in 2020, Saiss stated that the secret Traore's physique does not seem to be weightlifting, with the forward having shown no signs of putting in extra work in this respect at training.
The Moroccan defender did suggest that the star perhaps leaves this work until he returns home as they both saw each other in the gym at training on a daily basis. He said: "I see him every day, because we are in the gym together, before or after training. Maybe he has a hidden gym room in his house, but at training, in any case, he never pumps iron, whether it is bench-press or otherwise."
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This would back up Traore's own claims that he made previously that his physique is the product of genetics rather than gym work, with his ability to gain mass quickly one of the key secrets behind it.
He revealed that the pair had a conversation about his suitability for American football, with Traore then divulging that his attributes had not been lost on teams in the NFL. He added: "He is huge and very quick. I remember saying to him: 'You run like an American footballer'.
Adama Traore of FC Barcelona during the La Liga match between FC Barcelona and Atletico de Madrid played at Camp Nou Stadium on February, 2022 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Sergio Ruiz / Pressinphoto / Icon Sport) (Sergio Ruiz / Pressinphoto / Icon Sport)"He responded to me that at the time that he played in Barcelona, NFL teams tried to get him playing American football instead, that's how explosive he was. There are people who say that it is not possible, that he cannot be playing football."
Intriguingly, the pacey attacker has now revealed that American football is a sport that interests him from a playing perspective. When asked by the Wolves club website what sports he could see himself playing, he responded that he would like to possibly try American football at some point.
He said: "Boxing is one I’d like to try, and the other would be American football. I like to watch it and if I wasn’t a footballer, I would like to try that too."