The world of football has seen some outrageous goals and in front of the queue is the legendary Pele, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and other legends of the sport.
However, none of these superstars managed to score goals with shots taken from their own half or middle of the pitch. Former Manchester United forward, Wayne Rooney has scored a few but his spectacular strike for DC United in the MLS yesterday made jaws drop. Daily Advent x-rays some of the best long range strikes in the history of the Premier League.
David Beckham | Wimbledon v Manchester United | August 1996 | Distance: 59 yards.
David Beckham raised the roof at Selhurst Park on the first day of the 1996/97 Premier League season when Manchester United played Wimbledon in London. The future England Captain received the ball in his own half and lobbed the ball over the goalkeeper to score one of the best goals that the Premier League and the rest of the world had ever seen.
With United already winning 2-0 at Selhurst Park, Brian McClair played the ball into Beckham’s path, who took a brief look up and proceeded to float the ball perfectly over Neil Sullivan in the Wimbledon goal. “I have never seen it done before,” admitted Sir Alex Ferguson afterwards. “He practised that in training every single day – striking the ball towards a goal from the halfway line,” said Neville, his former team mate and close friend.
Xabi Alonso | Liverpool v Newcastle United | September 2006 | Distance: 63 yards
Alonso won possession of the ball with a perfectly timed tackle typical of the legendary defensive midfielder. The former Spain international shifted the ball onto his more favoured right foot and launched a shot that left Newcastle goalkeeper Steve Harper stranded. Alonso had scored a spectacular goal with a strike from inside his own half to secure an important FA Cup victory against Luton Town in January 2006 so Steve Harper should have known.
“I was thinking of telling him off when he didn’t pass to Steven Gerrard who had made a good run forward,” Liverpool’s coach at the time, Rafael Benítez admitted. “He practises it all the time.”
Maynor Figueroa | Stoke City v Wigan Athletic | December 2009 | Distance: 60 yards
Honduran left-back Maynor Figueroa scored the Premier goal of the season in December 2009 a few weeks after his Wigan side were thrashed 9-1 at White Hart Lane.
Their away form was terrible at the time and they were level just after the break when Figueroa surprised everyone by taking a freekick inside his own half very quickly. He sent the ball on a flat trajectory over Thomas Sorenson and into the corner of the net.
Wayne Rooney | West Ham United v Manchester United | March 2014 | Distance: 58 yards
Wayne Rooney scored a spectacular volley from the halfway line to give Manchester United the lead against West Ham at Upton Park – emulating David Beckham’s own memorable effort from 1996 in front of the watching former England captain.
Rooney struck in the eighth minute from an almost identical spot as Beckham did in August 1996 with a long-range shot that looped over Neil Sullivan in the Wimbledon goal.
Charlie Adam | Chelsea v Stoke City | April 2015 | Distance: 66 yards
Charlie Adam scored a “Once in a lifetime” goal at Stamford Bridge, the home of the defending champions Chelsea in a Premier League clash. The Scotland international received the ball from Jon Walters in his own half before striking the ball from around 65 yards which flew over Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who was caught off his line, and into the net.
Having already scored from a similar position in a reserve‑team game for Blackpool against Accrington in 2009, Adam had no qualms about trying again on a much bigger stage six years later. “Let’s not forget that when Pelé tried that, he missed,” tweeted the comedian David Baddiel of the longest-distance strike to be scored by an outfield player in the Premier League.
Wayne Rooney | Everton v West Ham United | November 2017 | Distance: 61 yards
Premier League legend, Wayne Rooney loved West Ham United for conceding spectacular goals from him. Three years after his outrageous effort against the Hammers at Upton Park, he rounded off a spectacular hat-trick with a strike from the halfway line for his boyhood club Everton during his second spell. The West Ham goalkeeper, Joe Hart came off his line to make a crucial clearance but the loose ball fell to Rooney who hit an outrageous shot from the midfield.
Rooney knew it was in from the moment he made contact, “I’ve never struck a football better in my life,” Rooney admitted after his first-time effort flew over the stranded West Ham goalkeeper Joe Hart to seal his hat-trick in the 4-0 win. The striker hit the ball one time with his laces and propelled the ball in such a way that two West Ham defenders ( two very tall defenders) could not stop the ball from hitting the back of the net.
Asmir Begovic | Stoke City v Southampton | November 2013 | Distance: 92 yards.
In terms of distance, Begovic’s effort from just outside his own six-yard box against Southampton in September 2014 is still the furthest out in the history of the Premier League.
The outrageous strike from the Bosnia and Herzegovina international earned a place in the Guinness World Records book. His kick, after 13 seconds, caught the wind and bounced over opposite number Artur Boruc into the Saints’ net. It measured at 91.9m (301ft 6in), earning it the accolade in the record book.
While these goals are regarded as some of the best long distance goals in the history of the Premier League and football in general, long range strikes from Luis Suarez (v Norwich), Paul Robinson (v Watford, 2007) and Tim Howard (v Bolton, 2012) deserve honorable mentions.