With it being Halloween this weekend, we decided to rack our brains for some of the scariest stars ever to play sport.
There are plenty of athletes from different disciplines that could have made our list, but in the end, we think the following five athletes stand above the rest.
Vinnie Jones
For those not old enough to remember, Jones was a professional footballer between 1984 and 1999, before taking up an acting career.
Jones was part of Wimbledon’s FA Cup-winning team in 1988, known as the “Crazy Gang” due to their raucous antics.
The former Leeds United player was sent off 12 times in his career, and he holds the record for fastest booking after just three seconds.
His below-the-belt squeeze on Paul Gascoigne is one of the most iconic images of that era and it would have been a rather horrible experience to line up against him during his playing days.
Brock Lesnar
The American has done it all, from professional wrestling to American football, with some mixed martial arts in between.
Injuries held Lesnar back in Gridiron, but as a wrestler, he has made a name for himself all around the world.
In MMA, Lesnar destroyed his opponents thanks to his huge frame and power, and at 6ft 3in he had the physique to succeed.
Lesnar won the UFC Heavyweight title during his time in the sport and he will be remembered as one of the most intimidating fighters in the modern era.
Shaquille O’Neal
Let’s face it; anyone who is over 7ft tall is rather intimidating. O’Neal weighed over 300lbs during his playing career and boy did he destroy his rivals during his time playing for the Los Angeles Lakers.
The American is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, and he was one of the biggest to ever play professional basketball.
For 19 years, O’Neal competed in the NBA, proving virtually unstoppable on offence as he claimed four NBA titles before retiring.
Bernard Hopkins
The former American professional boxer enjoyed a long and successful career spanning three decades.
He held multiple world championships in two weight classes, but it was at middleweight that he dominated – defending his title on 19 occasions.
Hopkins won 55 of his 67 fights, and he was known for his rough and dirty tactics when on the inside. He was nicknamed “The Executioner” and “The Alien”, and that is scary enough, never mind his ability inside the ring.
Norman Hunter
Leeds United’s team under Don Revie is still criticised to this day, with critics suggesting they pushed the boundaries in order to win matches.
Hunter, who sadly passed away this year, was one of the toughest tacklers in the game and he played over 500 games for Leeds. He won the World Cup with England in 1966 and his nickname during his playing days was Norman “Bites Yer Legs” Hunter.
The centre-back took no prisoners during his playing days, and there will have been few strikers that enjoyed playing against him during his 20-year career.
