Standard Liege 0-2 Rangers: Was Roofe's goal really the greatest Gerrard's seen?
- Published
Kemar Roofe's incredible strike capped Rangers' win at Standard Liege
Rangers manager Steven Gerrard called it the best goal he has ever seen... even if Kemar Roofe reckoned it was "just the same as a tap-in".
Regardless, the English forward's stunning strike from the halfway line in his side's Europa League win over Standard Liege smashed a Europa League record.
No goal in the competition's - admittedly relatively short - history has been scored from further out than the 54.6 yards that Roofe's was.
But how did he do it? What was the reaction? And is it really the best Gerrard has ever seen?
The anatomy of a wondergoal
Roofe collects the ball midway inside his own half. Manager Gerrard takes up the tale. 'He's strong for two challenges, holds a player off, and then takes the same player on in the worst conditions I've seen...'
Still a few steps inside his own half, Roofe looks up, pauses, then rifles his right foot through the ball...
'To have the vision, the power and the class to score from 55 yards... it was a moment of genius,' adds Gerrard
What they said
Roofe: "In the moment, you know what is going on but it is one of those you have to watch back to really understand what it is like. It's a good goal, but it doesn't give you extra goals or points for scoring that. It is still the same as a tap-in."
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Team-mate Ryan Jack: "It is probably one of the best I've ever seen live. Credit to him, he's been outstanding since he came to the club."
Former Scotland midfielder Michael Stewart: "That is absolutely top-drawer stuff. To pick it up, have three or four men around you in close proximity, beat them all then have the awareness..."
Former Rangers winger Neil McCann: "Find a way to see that goal. Roofe has nowhere to go, he has no one in sight. That is an outrageous piece of skill."
What goals did Roofe's strike beat for Gerrard?
David Beckham's stunning last-minute 30-yard free-kick for to get England to the 2002 World Cup?
Gerrard's former team-mate Xabi Alonso's injury-time halfway-line strike of his own against Luton in 2005?
*That* 30-yard overhead kick by Zlatan Ibrahimovic against England in November 2012, on the night he scored four times?
Gerrard's own stunning volley against Olympiakos in 2004 to take his Liverpool side to the knockout stages of the Champions League?
Or the Rangers manager's 40-yard screamer against West Ham in the 2006 FA Cup final?