Premier League journeyman looks unrecognisable after competing in completely new sport

A former Premier League player who played 469 times in the top flight has swapped football for a new sport which he found to be "much scarier" than "any football game".

Sylvain Distin enjoyed an incredibly solid Premier League career, first turning out for Newcastle United on loan from Paris Saint-Germain before signing for Manchester City in 2002.

He went on to captain City, Portsmouth and Everton before finishing up with Bournemouth and playing 17 times.

Now 48-year-old, Distin still has his competitive edge many years after retirement and recently took part in a CrossFit challenge under the Arnold Classic umbrella.

Crossfit comprises of strength, cardio and functional movement and requires an incredibly high level of fitness.

Distin had that from playing in the Premier League for an extended period but he pushed his body to the absolute limit in his latest challenge.

Footage on social media showed Distin smashing through a series of exercises in the Arnold Fitness Games, including the rings, powerlifting, rowing, box jumps, walking handstands.

But after the event Distin took to his official Instagram to recount the experience and how it "nearly broke" him before it had even got underway.

He also said he struggled to comprehend that he would not be winning, causing a "total head scramble". Despite briefly considering leaving beforehand, Distin finished 8th in the Masters +45 category.

In an honest reflection, he said that the mental battle he had in his head proved to be "a much scarier fixture than any football game I played in my career".

“450+ Premier League games, packed stadiums, big stakes.

“You would think I would be bulletproof, but @arnoldfitnessgames nearly broke me before I even started…

“In football, even on a bad day, you can nick a win against a top team. There’s always a chance.

“But individual CrossFit? The leaderboard doesn’t lie. I knew before I even walked out for my first individual comp that I wasn’t going to win.

“For someone as hyper-competitive as me, accepting that was a total head scramble. Five minutes before the first heat, my brain was on a loop: 1. ‘If I leave right now, no one will notice.’

2. ‘What if I look absolutely ridiculous doing this?’

"The fear of looking like an amateur after a career as a pro was real. I spent more time looking at the fire exits than I did warming up.

"Finished 8th in the Masters +45 Rx category.

"No trophy, no winner’s medal, just a lot of sweat and a massive realization: the hardest part wasn’t the thrusters, it was showing up knowing I couldn’t win.

“Turns out, ‘You vs You’ is a much scarier fixture than any football game I played in my career.”

Distin's post, which included pictures of him getting a sweat on, included supportive comments from Jamie Carragher, Tony Bellew and Darron Gibson.

Distin, who holds the record for the most appearances in the Premier League from a foreign outfield player, has also competed in half marathons and marathons as well as a triathlon.