Given the health benefits that derive from a plant-based diet it genuinely surprises how few Premier League footballers are vegan.

Everton’s reserve goalkeeper Tom King is a rare example, converting in 2022 after suffering a string of injuries. The Welsh international was inspired by his sister and claims that ‘inflammation around my muscles’ improved since making the dietary switch.

Going back in time a bit Hector Bellerin was a vegan in the latter years of his Arsenal tenure, and remains so. The same goes for Chris Smalling when at Manchester United and Fabian Delph at Aston Villa and Manchester City.

To emphasis how unusual it is for an elite player to adhere only to plant-based produce we merely need bring up the numbers. There are currently 528 full-time professionals plying their trade in the Premier League. Yet the only dedicated vegan to be found is a back-up goalie with a single appearance in the English top-flight to his name.

A Transitory Revolution: Resetting the norm

Does that therefore imply that omitting all meat is counter-intuitive to the intense physical demands placed on an elite athlete?

Certainly studies show that a plant-based diet results in lower creatine stores, a compound essential for optimising strength and sprint-work. Lean protein sources such as chicken and fish meanwhile typically feature prominently on an athlete’s meal-plan, each containing amino acids that play a critical role in muscle repair and growth.

To conclude from this, however, that veganism must be considered an inferior option takes us down a blind alley. Put another way, there is some truth within but it doesn’t factor in the whole story, and nowhere is this better illustrated than when acknowledging a recent trend in top-level performers temporarily embracing strict vegetarianism, almost to reset themselves; to recharge.

This is something Sergio Aguero did in the latter spell of his career, the feared striker eliminating all meat and processed foods and subsequently attributing the switch to an improvement in his energy levels.

 “After a few weeks I started to feel different—lighter, quicker,” he revealed.

It is a similar tale with his former Manchester City team-mates Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan who both were intermittent vegans during their long stays in England. According to their personal chef these superstars of the modern game ‘loved going vegan for a little while’ on occasion before incorporating white meat back into their diet.

Data box – Veganism has been scientifically proven to help lower cholesterol, reduce blood pressure, improve insulin sensitivity, and aid better weight management

Danny Webber, a sports nutritionist who works for Wrexham FC, explains why this new approach is becoming far more than a mere food fad among the top-flight community.

“Typically what you’ll find with footballers is they notice a benefit in swapping from a traditional meat-eating diet, and a high carbohydrate diet, to a more plant-based approach.”

“They feel better, more energized, and subsequently get better performance. Predominantly this is because they are consuming a wider variety of nutrients and that enhances their energy levels, their recovery times. There is also a reduced injury risk.

They may go from meals high in protein and starchy carbohydrates, with a small amount of vegetables – in some cases, not many vegetables at all – to a better quality variety of carbohydrate base, such as legumes, and wholegrain options, like chickpeas, lentils, and quinoa. These come with a rich variety of minerals, vitamins and additional fibre.

The protein side of things is where it gets a little bit messy. You can get enough protein from a plant-based diet but it’s trickier because the amino acid profiles aren’t as complete as from typically animal-based sources. If a player doesn’t hit his protein targets he is at risk of losing muscle mass.

This probably explains why they do this temporarily before going back to their typical eating habits.”  

A New Regimen: Staying in the green stuff

There is however an outlier in this regard, and an extremely high profile one at that.

In the summer of 2020, Mo Salah was in the prime of his career and the prime of his life.

The previous autumn saw the Egyptian forward finish fifth in the Ballon d’Or rankings, mere months after claiming a second consecutive Golden Boot for outfiring his contemporaries in the Premier League. He was 28 and together with his Liverpool team-mates he was basking in the enormous thrill of having secured a first league title.

Life was good, except also it wasn’t, because niggling away at him was an itch that needed scratching.

Having accrued the nickname ‘Mo Salad’ by a wag within the confines of Melwood, Liverpool’s training complex, the player’s dietary habits were already impeccable, paying meticulous attention to what he put into his body in order to get the maximum out of it.

Now though, bolstered by his animal welfare activism, and aware that a landmark birthday lay in the distance, Salah took the bold step of cutting all meat from his diet, focusing instead on an exclusively fibre-rich mix of fruit, veg and nuts.

It was a commitment to vegetarianism that is unusual in top-class football and it is hard to argue that the decision has not ultimately reaped dividends.

In 2024/25, aged 32, Salah completed a remarkable campaign, registering 57 goal involvements across all competitions and subsequently sweeping the board in the end-of-season player of the year awards.

A Supreme Example: Following the outlier

It can be deemed subjective as to what extent the player’s resolution to eliminate white and red meat has played in his late-career transcendence. It could be debated that he has always been a sensational talent who routinely did sensational things.

Yet crucially Salah himself firmly believes there is a strong correlation between his form and dietary changes, saying just last year: “The abs are made in the kitchen first, not in the gym, so you have to eat well.”

Elsewhere he has detailed the importance of ‘staying in the green stuff’ meaning of course prioritising vegetables at every turn, while he has publicly espoused the health benefits of cutting out bread and dairy, even advising younger team-mates to avoid wheat whenever possible.

When he takes to the pitch each and every weekend, and dominates the stats, you can be sure his words carry a lot of weight.

By allowing himself the occasional fish dish, Mo Salah is more accurately a pescatarian, not a vegan, but still, his decision to adhere to a largely plant-based diet remains a notable one.

And given the impact it’s had on the tail-end of his career might other footballers soon follow his lead?