The Wigan gaffer and FA Cup-winning former player on his days as a tennis prodigy in Scotland
(Image credit: Getty Images)
From Roy Keane and boxing to Phil Neville and cricket, there are countless examples of professional footballers that could have made a go of a career in an entirely different sport.
Being ludicrously talented at even one discipline is what most people dream of, let alone two. Reigning Wigan Athletic manager Shaun Maloney – who also starred for the Latics, as well as Celtic, Aston Villa and Scotland during his playing career – was just that type of prodigy. As a youngster Maloney was considered a top tennis prospect as well as a gifted footballer, leading to rumours that he used to take on Wimbledon winner Andy Murray in his youth.
"No that's not true, though I played against his brother, Jamie," Maloney tells FourFourTwo. "Andy was a few years younger than me so we never faced each other, but we’d often be at the same youth tournaments."
Jamie Murray, older brother of legendary Scottish player Andy, won four Grand Slam doubles titles himself across his career – which tells you all you need to know about how good Maloney must have been as a child. Yet the former footballer confirms he was never near the level of the Murray brothers, and that he made the right decision sticking to football.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
"I remember seeing Andy play when he was about nine and he was already super talented," Maloney recalls. "I wasn’t quite as gifted but I tried hard. I opted for football instead and, thankfully, it turned out to be a pretty good choice."
Maloney won five Scottish titles and three Scottish Cups with Celtic, before heading south of the border to win the FA Cup with Wigan. Add 47 Scottish caps to that haul and it's fair to say Maloney made a very wise decision.
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Ed is a staff writer at FourFourTwo, working across the magazine and website. A German speaker, he’s been working as a football reporter in Berlin since 2015, predominantly covering the Bundesliga and Germany's national team. Favourite FFT features include an exclusive interview with Jude Bellingham following the youngster’s move to Borussia Dortmund in 2020, a history of the Berlin Derby since the fall of the Wall and a celebration of Kevin Keegan’s playing career.
