Former Man United star has taken on a new career as a TENNIS player after hanging up his football boots... and he's even playing in the ITF tour at 45-years-old!

Former Manchester United striker Diego Forlan has made the switch only a few could have thought of.

Unlike other retired football players, the Uruguayan didn't just stick to football, but instead, he emerged as one of the most promising tennis players at the age of 45.

His love for tennis started before he pursued a professional career in football.

Competing in the 45+ category, he joined the ITF World Tour after making his debut last year at the MT400 Montevideo.

The former Uruguay international's passion for the sport returned during his pre-season tour in the United States while playing for Manchester United.

However, he had a difficult time with the Red Devils, scoring only 17 times in 97 appearances before being sold, as he was surpassed by Ruud van Nistelrooy and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Sir Alex Ferguson was keen to sign the player and often publicly showed his support, but his time with Man United could have been better.

He revived his career in Spain, starting with Villarreal, where he earned a move to Atletico Madrid.

For Los Colchoneros, Forlan made 178 appearances, scored 90 goals, and won his second Pichichi trophy, an award given to the top goalscorer of La Liga's season.

He is well remembered for scoring the winning goal against Fulham, which crowned Atletico Madrid champions of the Europa League 2009-10.

Diego Forlan retired from professional football in the summer of 2019, after spending the last year of his career as a free agent.

Since retiring, the player has been enjoying his time, transitioning from football to tennis, where he has competed in 35+, 40+, and 45+ age categories. Between 2020 and 2021, he successfully combined tennis with his managerial career at Uruguay's second-tier CA Atenas and first-tier Penarol.

Speaking to ITF, Forlan said: 'I like to challenge myself in life.

'This is a different sport for me, and I really enjoy the challenge of competing against very good players from different countries.'

His performances in tennis have surprised many, including the fans and judges, who ranked him 203rd in Men's Singles and 94th in Doubles.

Overall, he has participated in four Masters tournaments so far, including two in Montevideo, one in Punta del Este and one in Lima.

The Uruguayan intends to continue playing, aiming to participate in four or five more tournaments in 2024.

Similar to his tennis icon Rafael Nadal, Forlan is right-footed but plays tennis with his left hand.

'I'm not saying a good player, but if you see me play nowadays you will see a tennis player, not an ex-football player,' confidently says the 45-year-old player to the Athletic. 'If you see me play, you will think, this guy has played since he was a kid because the technique is more of a tennis player.'

Forlan wouldn't be the first football player to transition into tennis.

After a successful switch, Milan legend Paolo Maldini proved to be a man of many talents, having retired 16 years ago.

Like Diego Forlan, the former Italy international didn't become a football pundit and opted to play in other sports tournaments.

However, his debut didn't end up with a happy ending, suffering a disappointing 6-1 and 6-1 defeat at the ATP Challenger doubles against the pair of Poland's Tomasz Bednarek and the Netherlands' David Pel.