Germany and Bayern Munich footballer Serge Gnabry has announced he recently turned vegan – just before hitting the form of his life.

The German attacker scored in his national team’s 3-2 win against the Netherlands on Sunday, and now has five goals in his first six internationals.

And he revealed in an interview with German publication BILD that he dropped meat and dairy from his diet just before his recent hot streak.

‘Enjoying it’

“At the moment I’m enjoying it, I’m feeling well as well,” Gnabry said.

“I had conversations with friends, watched documentaries. I just want to give it a try. I don’t know whether it’ll last forever. The chefs at the DFB and Bayern know.”

The 23-year-old’s career has taken an unexpected rapid rise recently, after a stuttering start at Arsenal where he made just ten Premier League appearances between 2012-2016.

But since moving to Germany he said paying close attention to his diet has helped him come on leaps and bounds, leading to a transfer to giants Bayern Munich and a call-up to the national team.

Trends

Gnabry follows a trend of footballers switching to a plant-based diet, including his former Arsenal teammate Hector Bellerin – who regularly responds to the Germany star’s posts on Instagram.

Gnabry’s signature goal celebration involves pretending to stir a hot pot of coffee – but maybe that could evolve to a vegan stir-fry after his new-found form.

Head chef at Bayern Munich Alfons Schuhbeck explained how Gnabry would use plant-protein to aid his power and strength.

He told BILD: “Serge has been vegan for a few weeks now. We’re helping him along the way and make sure that he’s well fed.

“As a high-level athlete, he has to look at where he gets his power from. It’s important to eat protein-rich food. Lentils and peas are crucial.”

Vegan power

Many other footballers and sports stars have adopted a vegan diet both for the animals and to improve their fitness.

Manchester United footballer Chris Smalling recently reported being fitter than ever after switching to veganism.

And some of the world’s elite stars have embraced a plant-based diet, including tennis greats Serena Williams and Novak Djokovic, and Barcelona and Argentina footballer Lionel Messi.

• Read: Vegan Manchester United footballer Chris Smalling is ‘constantly getting stronger’ since switching diet

What do you think of the trend of sports people going vegan? Tell us in the comments section below!

Oli Gross

Oli’s career and personal ethical values both help shape his reporting of the diverse world of veganism. His background is in local newspaper and magazine journalism, and his work has included reporting court cases, celebrity interviews, business analysis, food and drink features and government legislation.

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