Collingwood have announced on Thursday the signing of Senegalese basketballer Bassirou Faye as part of an International Rookie Scholarship.
Faye originally moved to Australia in order to pursue a career in basketball, before making the switch to footy with the help of former Richmond and Hawthorn forward Tyrone Vickery.
Through Vickery's connection at the Oakleigh Chargers, Faye trained with the Chargers over the Summer and joined the Pies for a number of sessions.
Week one at the Pies for 202cm Senegalse basketballer Bassirou Faye!
Welcome 'Big Rou' 🤝
— Collingwood FC (@CollingwoodFC) June 30, 2021
Surprisingly, the 18-year-old is yet to play a game of football after Visa restraints forced him to return to Senegal earlier in the year.
Standing at 202cm, Faye's athleticism in summer trials raised a lot of eyebrows. He ran a sub-three-second 20m sprint and recorded a mammoth 84cm running vertical jump.
Faye is not the first international footballer to head to Collingwood with the club using the International Rookie Program to sign American Mason Cox in 2014.
Under the International Rookie Program, Faye will sit outside the maximum 44 players on Collingwood's list, but will be a part of their full-time training and will play games for the Chargers this season.
