It’s uncommon to have a fat body if you are an athlete. But there are examples of fat soccer players all around the world who made their name despite their weight. Some of them played a vital role in shaping the soccer industry,
However, being fat as an athlete does not always mean having a huge belly or being overweight. The soccer players body fat percentage works differently; both male and female players have low body fat percentage relativity. A male player can have a low body fat percentage between 6 % and 18%. As for women, their lowest is 13%, and the highest is 18%.
Table of Contents
Fat Soccer Players
Well, in the history of soccer players, here is the list of fat professional soccer players that fans should know.
Jon Parkin
Jon Parking, or Jonathan Parkin, was born on December 30, 1981. He is a former soccer player who played mainly as a striker and had a career from the 1980s to the 1990s. Jon made over 50 league appearances and played for clubs like York City, Preston North End, Macclesfield, and Fleetwood. He had more than 50 league appearances for Forest Green Rovers, while Jon never had a chance to play for the Premier League.
Despite his successful career, his name is considered on the list of ‘fat soccer players’ due to his weight, which is 190 lbs (85 kg).
Jeroen Verhoeven
The next name is Jeroen Verhoeven, a former Dutch soccer player born on April 30, 1980. He began playing for AFC Ajax and FC Volendam between 2002 and 2009. While the player position was Goalkeeper and had 17 years of career, Jeoren was often teased for having a large waistline. During a match against ADO Den Haag, his supporters started to chant ‘Pizza!’ when the players touched the ball.
The player weighs 220 lbs ( 99 kg), which is not normal for soccer players.
Jan Molby
Jan Molby is a Danish former player, born on July 4, 19,63. He played in the position of Midfielder between 1983 and 1998.
He began his career with local club Kolding, but the player was given captaincy at 18 due to his excellent leadership. Jan moved to Ajax before he spent 12 years playing for Liverpool in England. During his career, the player was capped 33 times by Denmark, scoring twice.
The player retired in 1998 after a successful career and switched to a short career in management. He weighed 200 lbs (92 kg)
Neville Southall
Neville Southall is a Welsh former international soccer player who was born on September 16, 1958. During his career, he played as a Goalkeeper and has been described as one of the best ones of his generation.
Neville also won FWA Footballer of the Year in 1985. He is known to be the finest player who played with Wales.
He started his career in the 1970s for Llandudno FC, his hometown club, before switching to Bangor City in 1974. The player made over 500 appearances for Everton, and his fans remember him as ‘Toffees.’ Despite this, his name is on a list of fat professional soccer players due to his weight, which is 185 lbs ( 84 kg)
Wayne Shaw
Wayne Shaw is a popular name; his fans used to chant, ‘Who ate all the pies’ while he played. Because of having a wide frame, Shaw became a beloved player to non-league fans.
He was born on January 13, 1972; Wayne began his career at Southampton’s academy and then went on to Reading for two years. Southampton released the player due to his overweight issue.
Wayne continued to play a Goalkeeper position for AFC Lymington, AFC Totton, Eastleigh, and Sutton United.
During his career, Shaw had multiple incidents when his fans criticized his weight. He was even nicknamed “Roly Poly Goalie” as he weighed 320 lbs ( 150kg)
William Foulkes
He is probably the first soccer player to be remembered due to his weight. William Foulkes was a goalkeeper who played in England between the 1800s and 1900s.
William started his career playing for amateur clubs. Later, he was scouted by Sheffield United, who was- a social giant.
Fans and rivals ridiculed Foulkes for having an enormous frame. He weighed around 327 pounds (153 kg )
Tomas Brolin
Per Tomas Brolin was born on November 29, 1969; he was a Swedish former professional soccer player. Tomas played as a forward or Midfielder.
At 14, he had his first league match debut against Kilafors. Brolin spotted his performance, and they had a contract where he continued his education.
Tomas played for five years with Prama and then Leeds in 1995. After he left Leeds, Tomas didn’t go back, gaining more pounds and resulting in 161 ibs ( 73 kg)
Adebayo Akinfenwa
Saheed Adebayo Akinfenwa or Adebayo Akinfenwa was born on May 10, 1982. He is one of the famous fat pro soccer players who played as a striker.
His professional breakthrough happened at Doncaster Rovers, which led him to a short yet successful time at Doncaster Akinfenwa. This moved him to Torquay United, a Welsh club, and League One.
The player is known for his power and strength, which makes him a fan favorite during FIFA. He gained high ratings as a player but lost the title in 2022.
To some, the player is rough and tumble, but some consider him on the list of ‘fat soccer players.’ Adebayo weight around 224 pounds (102 kg)
Steve McNulty
Steven is known to be an icon of lower divisions, one of the dominant players during his career.
Steve, aka Stephen Michael McNulty, was born on September 26, 1983. He is an English soccer player and coach for Northern Premier Laque division and One West side Bootle.
Starting his career at Liverpool Academy at 7 years old, he became captain of the under-19 team. Until 2003, he stayed and switched to Second Division Club, Blackpool. However, he didn’t win the contract.
During that period, he worked as a driver for a future van. At that time, Mike Marsh recommended the player to Owen Brown, and he scouted him for Burscough.
The player played for Fleetwood Town, Tranmere Rovers, and Luton Town. During his early days, Fans underestimated his skills, calling him too slow and overweight to perform as a striker. Steve McNulty weighs 190 lbs (Â 88 kg).
Ronaldo (R9)
Ronaldo Luis Nazario de Lima was a Brazilian professional soccer player born on September 18, 1976. He began his career at Cruzeiro and then moved to PSV. Later, he joined Barcelona in 1996; during that time, he had a world record transfer fee at the age of 20.
Ronaldo received the 1996 FIFA World Player of the Year, making him the youngest soccer player to receive such an award.
He became the first player to break the world transfer record twice at age 21. He received the 1997 Ballon d’Or and became the youngest recipient.
The player scored more than 200 soccer goals for the club and country, but he later had knee injuries that made him inactive for three years. In 2022, he joined Real Madrid and won the 2002- 03 La Liga title.
Ronaldo is known to be one of the most marketable players; Pele listed his name in FIFA’s 100 Greatest Living Players in 2004. He also has a hall of fame in the Brazilian Football Museum, Talian Football, Inter Milan, and Real Madrid.
Soccer fans consider him one of the great players for Brazil. He didn’t gain much fat during his career, but after his retirement, the player gained 180 pounds ( 82 kg)
Final Thoughts
Athletes must care for their body fat; a healthy percentage makes them more conditioned to perform better.
Elite athletes work on maintaining their healthy body fat percentage for better speed, development, and muscular as well as cardiovascular endurance; excess weight might cause resistance to having ease in motion, but these fat soccer players proved that its not always the right. Even having higher body fat, they successfully created careers in soccer games.
FAQs
1. Who is the fattest goalkeeper player in the Premier League?
David Felgate is known to be the fat goalkeeper for his stature; His fans gave the name to show support as they nicknamed him ‘the fat goalie.’
2. Who was the fat goalkeeper playing for Ajax?
Jeroen Verhoeven, a Dutch goalkeeper, was considered one of the fastest soccer players.
3. What is the body fat percentage that soccer players require?
For the men, the percentage is 6 – 18%, and for the women players, it is 13 – 18%.
4. What is the ideal body fat for a soccer player?
The ideal body fat percentage for soccer players is between 8% to 12%.
5. Why is body fat percentage crucial for soccer games?
Body fat percentage determines a player’s speed, endurance, and energy during the game. It also affects their agility, appearance, and strength.
