Mykhailo Mudryk Becomes the Fastest Player after Reaching 22.76Mph in a Sprint in His Chelsea Debut

Mykhailo Mudryk has only played 35 minutes in England but the Ukrainian is already the Premier League’s fastest player.

Chelsea’s new £88million man, who wowed fans with his fancy footwork off the bench during Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Liverpool at Anfield, clocked 22.76mph on the speed gun.

That saw Mudryk overtake the season’s previous top-flight record of 22.74mph set by Everton’s Anthony Gordon against Crystal Palace in November.

The 22-year-old has already endeared himself to Chelsea fans before even stepping onto the pitch after he was filmed by his trainer doing weight training and endurance work to help him hit those top speeds.

Mudryk also topped the charts in the Champions League group stage. Before signing for Chelsea, the 22-year-old hit 22.74mph while playing for Shakhtar Donetsk — a speed also matched by Barcelona forward Ousmane Dembele.

Mudryk endeared himself to Chelsea fans before stepping onto the pitch, having been filmed by his trainer doing weight training and endurance work to help him hit the ground running.

Performance coach Dima Chapovskyi shared the videos on Instagram, saying: '37.00. It's not temperature. It's Mudryk speed against Liverpool.'

Mudryk earned comparisons to Blues icons Eden Hazard and Arjen Robben following his impressive cameo at Anfield, while Chelsea boss Graham Potter has admitted that he faces a 'balancing act' of who to select following the 22-year-old's performance.

‘Stability helps the team and we need to be as stable as we can while acknowledging the competition in our squad,’ he said.

‘It is a balancing act and every game brings a slightly different demand. You don’t always get it right but that’s the challenge.

‘Mudryk hasn’t played since November so it would have been a risk to start him but he was very good coming on.
‘He’s only had two sessions with us and will get better the more he understands us and vice-versa. He can get supporters off their seats. His dribbling actions are high and know where the goal is.

‘Our job is to help setline him into the country and the team. He and Joao Felix are top players.

'Coaches don’t magically turn them into good players, it’s just about helping them fine-tune.’

And while it has only been one game, Cesar Azpilicueta believes it will not take long for the new arrival to get up to speed.

'I've seen a very focused lad with great determination, great ambition,' Azpilicueta said.

'It was his first game since November so, for him, it was like pre-season.

'He played 35 minutes at Anfield so it's not the easiest debut and I think he did brilliantly.

'He's a player who can have that mix between playing good football with his feet and also running the space, you could see his speed.'