Photo by Freerange Stock, CC by 1.0
Football is a game celebrated for its unpredictability, and what better way to highlight its thrilling uncertainty than with a jaw-dropping long-range strike?
They’re a rare feat, but some players have wowed fans over the years by scoring from inside their own half. Not all of them have been scored by outfield players either, with goalkeepers getting in on the act, especially when the wind has started blowing.
Here are the five longest-range strikes in Premier League history.
6. David Beckham (Manchester United v Wimbledon 17/08/96) – 57 yards
David Beckham, who would go on to have a legendary career, hit the first highlight moment of his illustrious resume with this unbelievable strike against Wimbledon. Manchester United were cruising with a 2-0 lead against the Londoners in the opening day of the 1995/96 Premier League season.
Beckham spotted Wimbledon’s goalkeeper, Neil Sullivan, off his line and, from 57 yards out, unleashed a remarkable shot from the halfway line that sailed over Sullivan and into the back of the net.
The goal was the stepping stone to Beckham’s position on the right side of the Man United midfield and his rise to superstardom.
5. Xabi Alonso (Liverpool v Newcastle United 20/09/06) – 65 yards
Just nine months after scoring a similarly spectacular goal in the FA Cup against Luton Town, Alonso brought his signature piece of brilliance to the Premier League.
At the time, the Spaniard was widely recognised as one of the most technically gifted players in world football. Long range passing and shots were his trademark moves.
He certainly took that to the extreme against Newcastle when, just outside the centre circle, he spotted Steve Harper off his line and took his opportunity.
Harper was back-pedalling all the way and was left grasping at thin air as Anfield went into raptures.
4. Charlie Adam (Stoke City v Chelsea 04/04/15) – 66 yards
Slightly pipping Alonso to the post is another former Liverpool midfielder in Charlie Adam, who scored an outrageous goal against would-be champions Chelsea.
Throughout his career, Adam has backed himself multiple times from halfway, much to the frustration of fans who feel his shooting from the halfway line can slip into self-indulgence.
However, his persistence eventually paid off as he saw Thibaut Courtois off his line and pinged in a wonder goal.
3. Paul Robinson (Tottenham Hotspur v Watford 17/03/07) – 80 yards
Distribution was always one of the strongest aspects of Paul Robinson’s game – he would often hang long free-kicks to the edge of the box in order to try and unsettle the opposition’s back line.
However, on this occasion, his kick from 80 yards ended up in the back of the net, thanks to some dodgy keeping from England colleague Ben Foster.
A total misjudgement from the Watford keeper saw the ball bounce over his head and extend Tottenham’s lead.
Unusually, it wasn’t a maiden career goal for Robinson – he scored a last-gasp header for Leeds United against Swindon Town in a 2003 League Cup tie.
2. Tim Howard (Everton v Bolton Wanderers 05/01/12) – 100 yards
Tim Howard couldn’t even bring himself to celebrate after his incredible wind-assisted goal sailed over Adam Bogdan to give Everton the lead.
A bitterly cold January evening yielded an unbelievable strike from the American as Bogdan, caught out by the wintery conditions, completely misjudged where the ball would bounce.
Credit to Bogdan and Bolton for coming back and winning the game 2-1 after such a luckless incident.
1. Asmir Begovic (Stoke City v Southampton 02/11/13) – 101 yards
Bosnian Asmir Begovic holds the record currently in the top-flight after his amazing strike against Southampton.
What makes it even more remarkable was the speed at which it was scored – only 13 seconds had passed in the match before he saw his thumping clearance loop over a hapless Artur Boruc with assistance from the wind.
Like Howard, Begovic was too embarrassed to properly celebrate and like Howard’s Everton, Stoke couldn’t hold on to win the game.
At the time, the goal made Begovic Stoke’s joint top-scorer for the season in another crazy stat that football can sometimes throw up.
