02 July 2023 , 15:41
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Real Madrid winger Vinicius Jr is the latest sports star to turn his hand to a new sport by following in the footsteps of basketball star Kyrie Irving in showing off his range of talents.
The Dallas Mavericks ace wowed fans last month when a viral clip emerged of him trying out the sport, showcasing his surprising aptitude for American football. His athleticism was plain to see in the video but he is not the only sports star to show his adaptability to other disciplines in recent times.
Irving was seen in the clip catching a ball on the run and sprinting into the end zone before jumping up at the goal posts and pretending to lay the ball up like a basketball.
Vinicius Jr has demonstrated his aptitude with the ball at his feet since moving to Spain five years ago and has won two La Liga titles and one Champions League trophy in that time. However, it is clear that he loves nothing more than embracing American sports during his down time.
The 22-year-old had already been spotted attending a Miami Heat game as they took on Denver Nuggets in the NBA Finals, alongside compatriot Neymar Jr and the former Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba earlier this summer. In that instance, he was present to cheer on his friend, the Heat star Jimmy Butler.
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Now, the former Flamengo starlet has returned to his native Rio de Janeiro, where he has been spending a vacation ahead of his return to pre-season training, where he will be put through the paces by Carlo Ancelotti. Sport is never far from his mind, however, with the forward having tried out American football alongside NFL and Minnesota Vikings star Justin Jefferson.
The pair spent some time together in the Spanish capital back in March, with the wide receiver having spent a week in the company of Vinicius Jr, while also meeting his teammates. It is clear that Jefferson has had a great deal of influence on the Brazilian international also, with the former even performing the latter's trademark "Giddy" celebration during this latest encounter.
Clad in Vikings kit and headgear, it was clear that Vinicius Jr was not content with taking a casual approach to proceedings, with his commitment very much in line with what regular visitors to his social media channels will have come to expect from him. The Madrid star is the owner of prized jerseys autographed by everyone from Jefferson himself to Tom Brady, JJ Watt, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Joe Burrow and Saquon Barkley.
Real Madrid ace Vinicius Jr trying out Minnesota Vikings star Justin Jefferson's famous celebration (Instagram/ ViniJr)The post attracted over a million likes, with fans of the La Liga star allowing themselves to wonder what it would be like to see the Brazilian swap sports. One user seemingly embraced the prospect, replying: "Imagine if Vini was an NFL player". Another was also convinced that the youngster could make the switch one day addIng: "You can be a big star of this game. I trust your hard work."
Despite this, some Los Blancos supporters did express their concerns that the forward ace could pick up an injury as a result of his pastime. One user said: "Please, my brother, do not get injured while playing these games. We need you in the next season."
The one-time European champion will soon be back to plying his trade back with the Santiago Bernabeu club, though, with pre-season training set to commence later this month. A tour of the US will then ensue for the legendary Spanish giants, with matches to come versus fellow heavyweights AC Milan, Manchester United, Barcelona and Juventus.