SUPER STRIKES: TOP 5 WORLDIES FROM THE MOST UNUSUAL PLAYERS

Featured Image Credit: Green Street Hammers

It is only in the Premier League where a return of a player of Gareth Bale's stature wouldn't be the headline of the weekend, let alone the game he was involved in. Instead, his return to Spurs was overshadowed by Manuel Lanzini coming on and scoring a last-minute screamer, to complete an unbelievable West Ham comeback. Due to Lanzini’s strike I’ve looked at some other absolute belters from players you wouldn’t expect them from.

Maynor Figueroa – Wigan V Stoke, 2009/10

Rory Delap gives away a freekick just inside the Wigan half. It looks like a foul that will just break up the play and allow Stoke to get numbers back. Five seconds later the ball is in the back of Stoke net. Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa has hit the stationary ball from inside his own half and got it over Stoke keeper Thomas Sorensen and into the Stoke net. Figueroa was awarded Goal of the Season for this strike. The Honduran international played in the Premier League for six years and unless you support Hull City or Wigan, I can guarantee this goal is the only thing you remember him for.

Matthew Lowton – Aston Villa V Stoke, 2012/13

A Villa corner looked to have been cleared by Stoke with a header out of the box followed by an attempted clearance that got more height than distance. Villa right back Matt Lowton controlled the ball with his chest before volleying the ball from about 30 yards. The ball flew into the top corner giving Begovic in goal no chance. Lowton won Goal of the Season for his volley and has done nothing noteworthy since.

Cuco Martina – Southampton V Arsenal, 2015/16

This game took place on Boxing Day and Southampton thrashed Arsenal 4-0. Cuco Martina was making his first start for Southampton and when a cleared ball was coming towards him from 25 yards out, he hit it with the outside of his foot straight into the bottom corner. It was Martina’s only Premier League goal, but he made sure it was a memorable one. Petr Cech was in goal for Arsenal that day and despite all his experience he can’t have seen many better goals fly past him.

Pedro Obiang – West Ham V Tottenham, 2017/18

For Tottenham and West Ham fans there was a case of Deja vu about Lanzini’s goal on Sunday. Two years earlier Pedro Obiang had done something similar. He received the ball from (ironically) Lanzini and from around 30 yards hit the ball with his right foot. It flied into the near post and Lloris could not get near it. Perhaps the most satisfying part about the goal is that the ball is still rising as it hits the net and had it not gone in someone in the crowd may well have been knocked out by the ball.

Victor Wanyama – Tottenham V Liverpool, 2017/18

The same year as Obiang and another defensive midfielder you would not associate goal scoring with. An Eriksen cross is palmed out by Karius to just past the box. Wanyama ran onto the ball and with the outside of his boot hit an absolute gem past Karius who hadn’t had time to recover from his initial punch (not that it would have made any difference). The ball couldn’t have gone anymore top corner and if there was a bin in the goal there is no chance that the ball would have stayed in there due to the power Wanyama was able to generate with the shot.