One in five sport-loving men are convinced that they 'could have gone pro', new research reveals.
Were it not for a niggling injury, a cruel twist of fate or a simple falling out of love for the game, many Brits are convinced that, in their heyday, they really did have the skills to pay the bills.
While a third of women surveyed felt they could have gone on to play a sport professionally or at a higher level had things turned out a bit differently.
One in ten men 'had trials' for a football club that didn't come off, while others represented their county at a sport and thought they might be able to make a career out of it.
And while one in ten women felt they were good enough to make a career out of the sport or activity they excelled at, they were far more modest- proving half as likely to claim to friends and family that they could have made it than men.
Men were most likely to be failed footballers, while women were most likely to feel they could have progressed in swimming followed by netball.
The study of 2,000 men and women, commissioned by Solgar 7 - the advanced joint supplement, examined people's experiences with sport and the impact of injury over the average person's lifetime.
Six in ten Brits played sport competitively at some point and nearly two thirds felt they were quite promising at a particular sport or activity when young.
43 per cent of the 2000 polled believed that they could have progressed the sport they loved had it not been for other factors.
Sadly, injury stops nearly one in five dreams of sporting glory, while other priorities and the reality of modern life with commitments to work and family were a reason for nearly half (47%) to call time.
Results also pinpointed the average age Brits should consider calling it a day on sports they love - hanging up their football boots aged 39, stopping netball by 40 and cutting the jogging from aged 44.
Paul Chamberlain, Head of Education and Nutrition at Solgar 7 said yesterday: "We might joke to our friends that, had things turned out differently, we could have been the next David Beckham or Jessica Ennis-Hill but unfortunately we can't all be that lucky.
"But staying active is vital in ensuring we maintain good health as we age, and what we can do is take steps to support our bodies so that we're physically able to keep enjoying the games and activities we love, well into our later years."
Unfortunately though, injuries frequently strike and nearly a third (32%) of the adults polled currently suffer from pain or some sort of injury they picked up from sporting or physical activity in the past.
Knee pain was the most common source of discomfort, followed by back pain, injuries to ankles and shoulder discomfort.
Other sources of discomfort still troubling us from our sporting days include ligament damage, as well as repeated pain in the wrist and elbow.
While the average person who had received a sporting injury had 'put up' with the pain for just under ten years, results showed.
Paul Chamberlain, Education & Nutrition Manager at Solgar said yesterday: "It's natural that as we get older a change of pace occurs and we realise we have to moderate the exercise and how strenuously we approach sport.
"It seems most people feel that, by the mid-thirties our sporting prowess dwindles, but that doesn't mean that with the right approaches, supplements, exercises and attitude we can't prolong the amount of sport we play.
"Solgar® 7 has been formulated with this in mind. It's the next generation in joint care that effectively supports mobility, flexibility and range of motion in overstressed joints. It helps to address occasional "twinges" and joint stress brought on by exercise, sports or physical activity. The advanced formulation brings together seven bioactive nutrients that work together to balance the release of joint enzymes and structurally support collagen building blocks and joint cartilage*."
AGES WE THINK IT'S TIME TO STOP PLAYING:GYMNASTICS - 34
RUGBY - 37
HOCKEY - 38
FOOTBALL - 39
DANCE - 40
NETBALL - 40
TENNIS - 42
SQUASH - 42
CRICKET - 43
SWIMMING - 44
JOGGING - 44
GOLF - 46
