The fastest player in the Premier League this season isn’t Jamie Vardy or Hector Bellerin

Considering the level of athleticism in the Premier League, this is an impressive accolade.

The division is full of footballers with explosive speed, from Jamie Vardy to Theo Walcott, Hector Bellerin to Wayne Rooney Sadio Mane. High-pressing tactics by Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City have proved very effective so far this season, and pace is almost becoming an essential attribute for a top-level player to have. In the case of the in-form Walcott, it's not too unfair to say his career owes an awful lot to being an extremely fast sprinter. However, the Arsenal forward isn't the fasted in the Premier League this season, that accolade belongs to Republic of Ireland and Southampton striker Shane Long. Long, who scored the opening goal in Ireland's 3-1 win away to Moldova on Sunday night before going off after an hour clutching his hamstring, has recorded the fastest time so far this season, according to Opta. Irish fan won't be surprised to see the 29-year-old among the fastest players in the division, but it's still an impressive accolade considering the other players in the top 10. The list is based on the fastest speed a player has reached in a game, and over the first seven games of the season, no-one has been faster than Long. Here's the top 10:

10. Hector Bellerin (Arsenal) – 34.77km/h 8 = Maya Yoshida (Southampton) – 34.78 km/h 8 = Theo Walcott (Arsenal) – 34.78 km/h 7. Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace) – 34.79 km/h 6. Eric Bailly (Manchester United) – 34.84 km/h

5. Andre Gray (Burnley) – 34.87 km/h 4. Jamie Vardy (Leicester City) – 35.10 km/h 3. Kyle Walker (Tottenham) – 35.18 km/h 2. Lynden Gooch (Sunderland) – 35.19 km/h 1. Shane Long (Southampton) – 35.31 km/h

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