John O'Shea celebrates scoring for Manchester United. He didn't score many but always seemed delightfully shocked when he did.
John O'Shea is a cult hero at Old Trafford and back in Ireland. Today Adrian North looks back on the unexpected nature of his best goal for United - scored 10 years ago this week - and ranks the top 10 goals by defenders...
February 1, 2005 - Arsenal 2-4 Man Utd, Highbury: Even O'Shea seemed to surprise himself here.
When David Luiz charged forward at the onrushing sight of Kroos, Kheidera, and Muller at 4-0 down this summer he must have known just how deep a grave he had dug for himself. And while Luiz gets a lot of flack for his often foolhardy marauding into the opposition's half, I am in the minority who sympathises with the goofy-haired Brazilian here.
The thing is, David Luiz thinks he is the next Fernando Hierro, when in reality he needs to realise he's just a poor man's John O'Shea. And until Luiz nutmegs a player of Figo's quality or plays in goal for 10 minutes, he will never reach the level of the mighty Irishman.
The sight of an old fashioned big bastard of a defender going for a once-in-a-career stroll into the oppositions box will always be one of football's funniest. Here is Tony Adams thinking he's Ronald Koeman and here is Carragher heartbreakingly falling short of one the great farewell stories in his final game at Anfield.
But one of my favourite moments of a defender ending up where he has no right to be occurred on February 1, 2005, in a cracker of a game between Arsenal and United at Highbury.
At the height of the Wenger-Fergie rivalry this was a game that included a whole host of vicious tackles, goals from Vieira, Bergkamp, Giggs, and Ronaldo, Roy Keane's infamous pre-game outburst, and a final goal from O'Shea that is everyone's favourite of the lot.
It's O'Shea bewildered look that sums the whole situation up. United, away to arch-rivals Arsenal, leading 3-2 with five minutes to go, and out of nowhere their substitute defensive midfielder decided to wander 70-yards out of position to casually chip Manuel Almunia. Fergie even looks to be holding back the laughter on the touchline.
It was football at its unpredictable and hilarious best, and in honour of O'Shea's moment of genius, here are my top 10 goals that were incredible for a defender:
(Players like Koeman and Roberto Carlos who made a habit of scoring screamers are obviously excluded)
10: Danny Rose v Arsenal, White Hart Lane, 2010.
Centre forwards rarely dream of scoring goals this good. Let alone left-backs making their debut at White Hart Lane in the north London derby.
9: Djimi Traore v Tigres, Century Link Field, 2013.
At first glance one could think this goal should be higher up in the list. But those of us you watched Djimi play know that this was rather a bit of a hit and hope, but to borrow that old FIFA clich, "If you don't buy a ticket, you can't win the raffle" - Well Djimi bought a ticket, and with it he scored only his second career goal.
8: John O'Shea v Arsenal, Highbury, 2005.
See above.
7: Graeme Le Saux v Brazil, Wembley, 1995.
Graeme Le Saux, while contributing many an assist from the left flank of Chelsea and England's attack never scored too many. But for he England he did score once, and only once. But what a goal this was.
6: Anton Ferdinand v Fulham, Upton Park, 2006
Ian Darke is perhaps unparalleled in the commentary booth when describing the unexpected. He's not bad in the John O'Shea clip but it's his rising vocals on the words "by Anton Ferdinand!" in this clip that capture not just how good Darke is at his job, but also the unexpected brilliance of this goal.
5: Tony Adams v Everton, Highbury, 1998.
Where O'Shea once found himself foraying into no man's land he was really just copying the master of charging centre-backs - Tony Adams.
"It's Tony Adams put through by Steve Bould. Can you believe it!!" yelled Martin Tyler as Adams smashed in the goal that saw Arsenal clinch their first Premier League title.
4: Edmilson v Costa Rica, Suwon World Cup Stadium, 2002
This game finished 5-2 to Brazil. I remember getting up a 7am to watch it which is one of the best decisions I've ever made. Nobody bothered to defend and one of Brazil's players, Barcelona's Edmilson, who never scored for his country before or since decided to roam up the pitch and smash this bicycle kick into the far corner.
3: Josimar v Northern Ireland and Josimar v Poland. Estadio Jalisco, Mexico, 1986
Remember Josimar? - The gangly right-back who was called up late to Brazil's 1986 squad after an injury to Edson. A man who looked so utterly out of place standing next to Zico, Socrates, and Careca. A man who one assumed would simply play a bit part to the talents of the geniuses surrounding him.
40 minutes into his debut he did this:
And in the next round against Poland he scored an equally impressive goal:
2: Philippe Mexes v Anderlecht, Constant Vanden Stock Stadium, 2012
Philippe Mexes, a man with a short fuse who is never too far away from a naughty headline, did this just a couple years ago, and only one week after Zlatan's more famous bicycle kick vs England too.
1: Lilian Thuram v Croatia, Stade de France, 1998
While these two goals scored by Lilian Thuram in the semi-finals of France 98 may not be as technically impressive as some on this list, they are by far the most important. Thuram, France's most capped player with an incredible 142 appearances over 14 years, is one of the best defenders to grace the modern game.
But in 141 out of the 142 games he played for Les Blues, he never came to close to scoring. The solitary time he did however was in a World Cup semi-final, in his home country, against underdogs Croatia after his own mistake had seen France fall 1-0 behind. Thuram went from national villain to hero in the space of 25 minutes by scoring twice, booking France a place in that infamous final against Brazil.
