Luol Deng was almost ‘beanpole’ striker

CHICAGO Bulls basketballer Luol Deng has revealed that he could have been a footballer rather than an NBA star.

During a question and answer session with school pupils, Deng, who is an Arsenal fan and represented Great Britain at the 2012 Olympics, said: “I was pretty good and was asked to go to England trials. So I would be a professional football player for my beloved Arsenal. Just before I left to go to high school in the US I would be with my school friends mostly playing football. I’m a massive Arsenal fan and was a striker trying to copy Ian Wright.”