Tony Yeboah’s thunderbolt for Leeds United against Liverpool was three decades ago – but will never be forgotten by the striker and all those who witnessed it at Elland Road
Considering Tony Yeboah grew up idolising Liverpool, he had a strange way of showing it. But it was his love of Liverpool which inspired the remarkable goal he once scored against them.
One which went on to define his career, and be remembered as arguably the greatest the Premier League has ever seen. David James will certainly never forget it. Poor James was the Liverpool goalkeeper when Yeboah lashed an unstoppable volley past him in front of the kop, to secure Leeds a famous win at Elland Road in their opening game of the 1995/96 season.
James admits he still hates seeing video footage of the blistering strike. It has haunted him ever since. Which is hardly surprising, considering some experts claim the ball flew past him at a speed of close to 100mph.
That heady night in Yorkshire just over three decades ago is seared into Yeboah’s mind. The Ghanian would go on to score a similar stunner against Wimbledon just a few weeks later. He was holding a ‘goal of the season’ competition, all on his own. But there is no doubting which one of them means more.
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“Sometimes, when a ball leaves your foot, you know it’s heading straight in,” he said. “Playing against John Barnes and Ian Rush, I thought I had to do something special, so for me that particular goal was something special.
“The one against Wimbledon is better, in terms of technique. But if you consider the opponents, Liverpool were my idols, the game was live on television, the emotion and size of the crowd, the Liverpool goal is my favourite.”
The goal earned Yeboah instant cult status with Leeds supporters, not to mention a literal lorry load of Yorkshire puddings. A local company, Nordale Foods, decided to sponsor Yeboah two puddings per goal, plus one for each of his team-mates, A truck once delivered 250 of them to the club’s Thorp Arch training ground, and Yeboah was hooked on the iconic puds.
Until manager Howard Wilkinson became concerned about his new striking sensation putting on weight, and ordered them to be stopped.
Yeboah, now 59, said: “Yeah, I loved the Yorkshire puddings. I had no idea what they were, but the more I ate, the more I seemed to score. But eventually we agreed they would have to stop. I just couldn’t eat anymore of them.”
Yeboah, who now runs a successful sports agency and hotel chain back in his native Ghana, will be in the forefront of Leeds’ minds again this weekend, when Daniel Farke’s men host Liverpool once again.
Yeboah scored 32 goals in 66 games for Leeds, and insists his most iconic one of all was no fluke. Because he used to practice the volleys in training with Rodney Wallace, who nodded the ball into his path that night of August 21, 1995. Unlike James, Yeboah is only too happy to see replays of that goal, one which is repeated often both in Ghana and England.
He added: “There’s a TV station in Ghana that always shows the goal before the sports programmes, and I know they show it regularly in England too. It’s fantastic. The people still remember me in Leeds. I played there a long time ago now, but because of the fantastic goals, everyone remembers.
“I am very proud of that. I feel so proud to have played for Leeds United and to have scored a fantastic goal like that.”
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