10 David Platt
England v Belgium, 26 June 1990
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtqiBAg2biw
We kick-off with a goal right at the start of the decade, where our football education begun, at Italia 90. This second round game between England and Belgium was seconds from going to a penalty shoot-out until Paul Gascoigne floated a free-kick into the box, which was met on a spinning volley with his back to goal from David Platt. Gary Lineker’s beaming face in the subsequent celebration bundle a lasting image from the game.
9 Eric Cantona
Manchester United v Sunderland, 21 December 1996
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1uOZbH2qNg
Football is wonderful when just a goal can sum-up a maverick footballer like Eric Cantona. From the skill and strength of getting past two Sunderland defenders, the vision of the one-two with Brian McClair and the audacious chip finish. All topped off with a non-celebration that screamed ‘all in a days work mate’.
8 Tony Yeboah
Leeds United v Liverpool, 17 August 1995
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RK2aU9m4nW8
This goal was beaten to Goal of the Season by another Yeboah strike against Wimbledon weeks later, but we’ve plumped for this worldy that Sky continues to show to this day. Tony Dorigo’s ball was headed on by Rod Wallace, and the Ghanaian met it with an explosive volley that hit the underside of the ball and went in.
7 Matt Le Tissier
Blackburn v Southampton, 10 December 1994
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-bxrIoxg-w
We could have done a whole countdown just of Matt’s goals alone, with both his strikes against Newcastle at the Dell missing out. However this goal is probably his best, a couple of jinx past the Rovers defence was followed by a thunderbolt from all of thirty yards into the top corner, and past best mate Tim Flowers.
6 David Beckham
Wimbledon v Manchester United, 14 August 1996
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_R3f5OW2mN4
A goal that an footballing icon was born out of, who knows how the David Beckham story would have gone if this goal hadn’t kick-started it all. The young Becks received the ball on the halfway line, took one look up and launched the ball down field and beyond a helpless Neil Sullivan. A goal so good it should have been a shoe-in for Goal of the Season, however……
5 Trevor Sinclair
QPR v Barnsley, 25 January 1997
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpXWKKOVQWs
Yes, it was this acrobatic effort from QPR’s Trevor Sinclair that beat Becks to Goal of the Season, and unbiased loyalties aside, rightfully so. John Spencer hooked the ball towards goal, and with his back to goal Sinclair met the ball with an overhead/bicycle kick from outside the box that looped over the Tykes keeper.
4 Michael Owen
England v Argentina, 30 June 1998
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPC6Yv3BPVY
An 18 year-old with no fear, against one the world’s best on the grandest stage of them all. This was the summer the Michael Owen announced his arrival, with this mazy run past three Argentine defenders and the cool slamming the ball into the top corner. Paul Scholes never had a chance of getting that ball laid-off to him.
3 Ryan Giggs
Arsenal v Manchester United, 14 April 1999
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quI_LkMj4HI
The image Giggs chest-wig may be the more iconic image, but it remains because one of the all time FA Cup goals. In the closing seconds of this Semi-Final replay, Giggs took advantage of a misplaced pass from Patrick Vieria, to skip past four Arsenal defenders and then smash the ball past England’s number one.
2 Paul Gascoigne
England v Scotland, 15 June 1996
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0NT6aUwN8c
The 90s was all about Gazza, and this goal was one his finest moments of the decade, during the glorious summer of Euro 96. From Steve McManaman’s through ball, Gascoigne flicks the ball over Colin Hendry’s head and then volleys the ball into the bottom corner. Followed by the now infamous, but brilliant dentist chair celebration. What a summer.
1 Dennis Bergkamp
Holland v Argentina, 4 July 1998
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsZkCFoqSBs
We’ve overlooked Dennis’ stunning goals against Leicester and chosen this peach of skill as the decades’ finest goal. Frank de Boar launched a ball fully sixty yards down field, which Bergkamp controlled in one of the greatest first touches ever seen, then nut-megged Roberto Ayala with the next touch, and then calmly lifted the ball into the net. The greatest goal of the 90s, and so say of all us.
You can listen to @AshRoseUK and guests @SiRothstein, @DavidEFraser and @vsanger talk about the decades greatest goals on the latest podcast. They also joined by former Middleborough midfielder Craig Higgnett on the phone.
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