Meet the world's TALLEST footballer ever - as former NBA star makes debut

Former NBA centre Pavel Podkolzin has rewritten the record books by becoming the tallest footballer ever after making his debut for FC Amkal Moscow.

The 7ft 4in Russian – almost a foot taller than ex-England striker Peter Crouch – swapped basketball for football this summer and played in Tuesday's Russian Cup tie away to FC Kaluga.

Podkolzin, 40, spent two seasons in the NBA with the Dallas Mavericks between 2004 and 2006 before retiring from basketball in 2019.

He was persuaded back into sport by Amkal's president, who had previously been his team-mate in a basketball league.

'I'm playing in the Russian Cup and, honestly, I don't know what to say. I'm grateful for it,' Podkolzin told Baja News. 'It's a great opportunity to be in this sport.'

The giant forward had to duck through the tunnel on his way out to the pitch and towered head and shoulders over both his team-mates and Kaluga's players.

At 2.26 metres tall, he stands just 18 centimetres short of the crossbar itself.

He came close to marking his debut with a goal when he inadvertently deflected a shot from a team-mate inside the six-yard box.

Speaking after the match, Podkolzin said: 'They had a good goalkeeper. I'll try again in the next match.'

Instead it was midfielder David Papikyan who settled the contest, scoring the only goal of the game in the first half to send Amkal through with a 1-0 win.

Podkolzin was later substituted after contributing at both ends, including a clearance inside his own penalty area.

Fans were stunned when highlights of his debut appeared online. One wrote on social media: 'Is he taller than Peter Crouch?' Another joked: 'Man's playing headers without jumping.'

However, the quality of Podkolzin's heading left a lot to be desired. He squandered a golden chance to score when he attempted to nod home from a corner, only for the ball to bounce awkwardly off his shoulder.

Podkolzin will have another opportunity to add to his unlikely football story in the next round of the Russian Cup, when Amkal travel to Salyut-Belgorod on September 9.