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      It was definitely sexier when Daniel Craig did it

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BEST EVER SPORTING ACTORS

      The bright lights of Hollywood aren’t too far from the glare of the stadium spotlights. We take a look at a couple that dabbled in the acting game along with a few who have arguably forged bigger reputations on screen than they ever did in the arena.

      VINNIE

      JONES

      Vinnie is one of the most successful sportsmen turned actors as he’s appeared in over 70 films, including his electrifying début in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.

      He has a wide acting range whether he is playing a very hard bloke from London in Snatch, a very hard bloke from London in X-Men: The Last Stand, or a very hard bloke from London in Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted.

      MIKE

      TYSON

      Former world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson has appeared in 12 films, including The Hangover and Entourage.

      It’s unclear if he was actually cast in any of the films or if no one had the guts to tell a convicted criminal boxing champion that they didn’t want him.

      The people who had the easiest ride with Tyson on set were the caterers, who only had to provide food that was nicer than Evander Holyfield’s ear.

      ARNOLD

      SCHWARZENEGGER

      Arnie’s world famous for his appearances in movies like the Terminator films, Total Recall and The Expendables, but you may not realise that he started out as a champion bodybuilder.

      Interestingly, Arnie was overdubbed in his early films. So although low-budget film-makers didn’t think he sounded good enough for their straight-to-video dross, the people of California thought he sounded good enough to be in charge of the world’s sixth largest economy.

      MICHAEL

      JORDAN

      The world’s greatest ever basketball player made a big-screen appearance in Bugs Bunny film Space Jam.

      Michael’s performance was very impressive as despite acting alongside cartoon characters Daffy Duck and Porky Pig he was still the most one dimensional.

      DWAYNE

      ‘THE ROCK’ JOHNSON

      Former wrestler ‘The Rock’ has carved out a great career as an action star in films like The Mummy Returns and The Fast and Furious series.

      However, I can’t help thinking that the 6ft 5in muscle man may’ve been badly cast in the upcoming biopic of Warwick Davis.

ERIC CANTONA

      BORN: 24 May 1966, Marseille, France

      PLAYER: Auxerre, Marseille, Montpellier, Nîmes, Leeds United, Manchester United and France

      1) Even from an early age, Cantona managed to mix on-field genius with a combustible personality that often saw him fall foul of the football authorities. He made a name for himself as a forward at Auxerre as well as a handy fighter after decking a team-mate.

      2) His electric performances for the French club and the national side, including a hat-trick against England at the 1988 U21 European Championships, saw his boyhood club Marseille pay a French record fee for his services. Sadly, the move and his career in France stalled.

      3) After Sheffield Wednesday boss Trevor Francis turned down the chance to sign him, most probably after seeing his disciplinary rap sheet from France, Leeds stepped in and he helped them win the title before going on to become a Manchester United legend for five years.

      4) His infamous kung-fu kick on Palace fan Matthew Simmons saw him banned and fined, but in 2011 Cantona admitted it was ‘a great feeling’ and a memory for fans to treasure. So, why not get Simmons’s nipple from Eric’s studs and put it in the national football museum?

      DID YOU KNOW: The Frenchman went into acting after he retired, but his most famous role was playing himself in Ken Loach’s Looking for Eric. The F-word is used around 200 times in the film – just less than Simmons used it after getting that karate kick.