Thursday 25 April 2019 15:29, UK
When Tyler Magloire hit a top speed of 10.6 metres per second, he became Blackburn Rovers' fastest-ever player on record.
To put that into perspective, Kylian Mbappe drew Usain Bolt comparisons when he reportedly clocked a top speed of 10.55 metres per second in Paris Saint-Germain's 3-1 win over Monaco this week.
"Nobody beats him in a foot race," Blackburn manager Tony Mowbray said after handing 20-year-old centre-back Magloire his debut last month.
Magloire's speed was no secret to those inside the club. His previous time of 10.2 m/s had already broken the record set by now-Premier League striker Josh King.
His breakthrough into the Rovers first team has faced hurdles though.
Magloire - who joined Blackburn as a nine-year-old - injured his posterior and medial cruciate ligaments in his knee at the start of this season, meaning he would be out for up to four months and leaving him questioning whether his chance had gone.
"It was tough," he tells Sky Sports News. "While I was injured, I spent quite a bit of time with the club psychologist. He helped me keep my head, made sure when I came back I was ready to go again."
Magloire proved he was more than ready.
He captained Blackburn's under-23 side, all-but relegated at Christmas, to 12 wins in their last 16 matches to keep them in Premier League 2 next season.
It prompted the club to hand Magloire a new professional contract in February until June 2022, before he had even made a first-team appearance.
"To get it so soon after the injury was definitely a bonus," says Magloire. "It gave me that extra boost to say I am doing stuff right."
Magloire's speed meant Blackburn's development team could play with a higher line and press further from the front, with the confidence they have a defender quick enough to recover should the opposition break through.
It also gave Mowbray the confidence to surprise Magloire with the news he would be making his first Championship start - and first-ever senior appearance - against Wigan last month.
"We went through the team in the pre-match meeting and I saw my name," says Magloire. "It was a big shock to me. We had a few injuries, but I wasn't 100 per cent sure I was playing until the day."
The call-up came so quick Magloire barely had time to get his family and friends to Ewood Park in time, but he says his WhatsApp groups were "buzzing".
Magloire slotted into the middle of a back three which kept a clean sheet in the 3-0 win, prompting floods of praise from Blackburn supporters on social media afterwards.
Mowbray has told Magloire he has an attribute "not many do", but the player is aware he will need to fight for a first-team place.
For him, it remains a marathon and not a sprint.
"It feels like the next step in a journey that's continuing," he says. "It was a milestone.
"The hard work starts now."
