The Champions League has been residence to among the most memorable targets within the historical past of soccer.
Zidane’s volley, Bale’s overhead kick and Messi’s solo run are all extensively heralded as among the sport’s finest targets of all time, and Steve McManaman’s scissor kick within the 2000 remaining is true up there with them.
McManaman, the second English participant to ever characterize Real Madrid, made it to the ultimate in his debut season with Los Blancos and made certain it was one to recollect with this dazzling strike to assist safe a 3-0 victory over Valencia.
The approach on the strike was unimaginable, however for McManaman, it was simply one other day on the workplace.
“I used to be fairly adept at these sorts of volleys,” stated McManaman, talking on BT Sport podcast James Richardson’s Kings of Europe. “I discovered them fairly comfy.
“I needed to have each ft off the bottom so I might elevate myself, as a result of I wished to hit the ball as early as I might. The extra time you let the ball drop, the extra time any individual can get a block. So I fairly joyful to leap within the air and get the volley away. I might do it fairly comfortably. Even although it is a onerous volley to try, I felt I might do this fairly simply.
“It wasn’t simply thrashed at. I might management the ball actually simply, and the best way I jumped up, I knew I might management my ft so I wasn’t going to go below the ball, it was by no means going to go excessive. It was at all times a case of simply getting the position in.
“I might hit them onerous and I might hit them with out bouncing, however this one, with the our bodies within the field, it was about diverting it away from my teammates and defenders and attempting to position it into the nook.”
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Scoring such a purpose on the grandest stage in membership soccer is the kind of factor each aspiring footballer desires about, and the oft-subdued McManaman admitted it was one of many few moments in his profession which actually had him pinching himself.
“I feel so, however solely as a result of we gained the sport,” he continued. “I look again, that made it 2-0, which gave us a bit of respiration house within the sport, and I ran in the direction of my household. I very not often celebrated after I scored targets however I celebrated that individual day, and I ran over to my father and all of the household.
“Watching Liverpool rating in Champions Leagues… In 1981, I used to be 9. In 1984, I’m 12, after which I’m going watch Everton at my first time at Wembley. To ever assume you are going to get to finals…
“Looking again, it is undoubtedly a pinch your self second.”
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Listen to the Steve McManaman interview in full within the newest episode of ‘James Richardson’s Kings of Europe’ – the newest podcast from BT Sport Pods out at present throughout main podcast platforms.
Every Monday, journalist James Richardson interviews a Champions League winner from the previous 30 years, offering distinctive insights into among the largest moments in European soccer historical past: btsport.com/pods
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