How Gibbs almost joined Arsenal

Had South African batting star Herschelle Gibbs been able to pay his airfare to England when he was 14, he probably would have ended up as an Arsenal player

How Gibbs almost joined Arsenal

Had South African batting star Herschelle Gibbs been able to pay his airfare to England when he was 14, he probably would have ended up as an Arsenal player

The Deccan Chargers' players were playing a football game as part of their warm-up session on Tuesday. Their star batsman Herschelle Gibbs was quite clearly at a different level, not that you can expect much from most of the cricket players on a football field. Gibbs' movements were still eye-catching, the silken touch, the trickery was unmistakable. Here was a guy who knew his football.

What's stunning to hear is that at 14, Arsenal had sent scouts to check him out.

"Arsenal wanted me come over for trials. They said you just have to pay for your ticket, but at that stage my dad could not afford the ticket. They saw some of the players from here, the guys I had played with, and they had taken information about me and then asked me. But, I needed to pay my way for the trial. So, that's something I missed unfortunately. I don't have any regrets but I would have loved to be a football player for sure," Gibbs told MiD DAY when asked about his football prowess.

Contemporaries
Benni McCarthy and Quinton Fortune, footballers from Cape Town, who more or less started their careers at the same time as Gibbs, went on to earn their name in the Premier League. McCarthy plays for Blackburn Rovers' while Fortune played for Manchester United from 1999 to 2006.

"I would have loved to be a football player any day. I used to play left wing or left midfielder. People say I was full of tricks," said Gibbs.

"Football is a spontaneous thing; you can't do one move all the time, you do different moves, different times," he said, talking about his trickery.

Not just football
In fact, when he was a junior, he wore national colours in football, rugby and cricket. He was a super talent in rugby too and was among the youngest players from South Africa to sign a full-time rugby contract.

"Rugby started a bit later (in my early sports career), but the training time was a bit closer to football and I had to give up football, but it was always my first love," said Gibbs.

"It was a difficult decision to take, but something I had to do. It is just unfortunate there wasn't enough time in the day for me to continue all the sports."

A knee injury ended his rugby career before it could take off and it was cricket from there on.

The passion for football is still there though. "I have been a Manchester United supporter all my life. The club that I always played football at also wore red, you know.

"I have been to a few of the Man United games. It's a great ground, great support; there is a great buzz too.

It's just great to be there and watch the professionals at work. I know Benni and Quinton, really well."

His favourite payers: "I like Eric Cantona, and the new kid on the block Cristiano Ronaldo is my favourite."

Gibbs may have missed his football bus, but the South African cricket fans are not complaining.

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