At Arsenal we have our fair share of speedy players, but could one of them actually be quicker than the fastest man in the world?

It seems so.

Usain Bolt is known for smashing world records almost on a yearly basis. At the London 2012 Olympics he became the first man to win gold is both the 100m and 200m, two years in a row.

The 28-year-old’s current record over 40m is a blistering 4.64 seconds and it’s hard to imagine anyone, other than perhaps himself, beating this. Right?

Wrong.

Our very own 20-year-old rightback Hector Bellerin has smashed that with a – quite frankly – scary time of 4.41 seconds over 40m, showing that his acceleration is possibly the quickest in the world.

It’s no secret that the young Spaniard’s pace is an enviable trait, which he’s now learning to use to his advantage, but to think he’s faster than the fastest man in the world is beyond exciting.

But not everyone is excited by the prospect.

Sprinter Richard Kilty has challenged both Hector and Theo to a race, betting £30,000 that he can beat both of them.

Taking to Twitter, he said

“Media claiming @HectorBellerin can run 4.42 over 40m. Absolutely no way. Are these journalists complete morons!

“I will put £30,000 on the line to race @HectorBellerin & @theowalcott any sprint distance, any time, any place, anywhere. The race will be over very quick. So if they put their money down I will gladly show everyone they can not sprint as fast as the media claim.”

He’s not the only one challenging the headline with Craig Pickering, himself a sprinter, adding to the debate

“Let’s examine the logical fallacy of this headline/story,” he wrote. “Is it likely that a young footballer, who has to practise a wide range of skills, including actually kicking a football, as well as tactical and other fitness demands, could be faster than someone whose job it is to just focus on covering distances of 200m or less in as short a time as possible?

“That someone with almost perfect genetics, who spends 6 days per week honing his unbelievable talent, would be beaten over 40m by someone who does a bit of sprint training? That the fastest person by almost a country mile to ever walk this planet is not as good at HIS job as a Spanish under-21 international footballer?

“Clearly, it’s stupid.”

I never knew running was filled with such highly-strung athletes.