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Professional footballer Adrian Mariappa, a defender for Premier League club Watford, says he ‘hasn’t looked back’ since ‘going vegan‘.

The star has spoken about eating plant-based before, telling The Guardian back in 2019 he ‘couldn’t see himself going back to eating meat’.

‘A health thing’

In an interview with Watford Football Club published today, Mariappa said: “I’ve recently gone vegan. In the beginning, it was definitely a health thing, I did a bit of research, had some intolerance tests and cut a few things out of my diet before I went full vegan.

“I decided to give veganism a go and I haven’t looked back since. My diet is all taken care of with meals at the club, and when I’m at home we shop specifically for a vegan diet.”

‘Crazy diet’

The star also said he had gotten used to the lifestyle ‘quite quickly’ and has started influencing other players to try the club’s plant-based breakfast.

“Some people think it’s some crazy diet but the food still tastes great and I get all the nutrients I need on a day-to-day basis to help me perform well and that’s the most important thing,” he added.

You can read the full interview here

Liam Gilliver

Liam is the Deputy Editor and Social Media Coordinator for Plant Based News. He has written for a number of top publications including Gay Times, Attitude Magazine, Oh Comely, and The Huffington Post - and is the author of 'We're Worried About Him'.