Ask anyone to describe a typical Gary Lineker goal and you will get a fairly standard response. A fox in the box before the term was even in the footballing vernacular, Lineker was the ultimate predator, always in the right place at the right time. He probably did not have to spend too much time coming up with a name for his media production company.
However, there is one goal that Lineker scored in December 1989 that strayed from his trademark. A strike from outside of the penalty area that increased the pressure on Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson, and gave Tottenham their only league win at Old Trafford in the 1980s. A rare moment for both the scorer and his club, Lineker's goal would be Tottenham's last winner at the ground for 23 years.
Lineker did not hit the ground running for his new club at the start of the season. Transferred from Barcelona - midfielder Nayim also joining as part of the deal - it took England's star centre forward six games to score his first goal. But the floodgates would open after his header at Carrow Road and he would end the season as the top scorer in Division One.
Inconsistency was a problem for Terry Venables' team at the beginning of a campaign that would see them finish third. Three defeats in the opening five league matches was then followed by four successive wins, including a first league win over Arsenal since 1986. But one win in the next six left Tottenham in eighth place as they visited Old Trafford in mid-December.
Sitting four places below Tottenham, albeit with a game in hand, Manchester United's form was just as infuriating for Ferguson. In fact, United were now entering a winter of discontent for some supporters. Having started December with defeats to Arsenal and Crystal Palace, United would next win a league match in February, as the club hovered dangerously close to the drop zone.
Defeat to Tottenham in the League Cup at Old Trafford hardly helped Ferguson's cause. Despite defender Terry Fenwick breaking his leg, Tottenham coasted to a 3-0 win with goals from Lineker, Vinny Samways and Nayim. "Their frustration, given all the money United have spent in recent months, does not seem unreasonable," the Guardian's Stephen Bierley noted, as boos echoed around Old Trafford at the final whistle.
The league match would end in another defeat for United, with the fortunes of striker Brian McClair reflecting their struggles. Missing three glorious chances and having two goals disallowed, it was little consolation for McClair or United that for a 15 minute period at the start of the second half they were unplayable. But they could not find a way past Bobby Mimms.
Tottenham had also threatened at times though. Paul Stewart hit the post in the first half with Lineker somehow finding the crossbar with the rebound. When Lineker struck a post in the second half he must have wondered if his day was going the same way as McClair's.
But Lineker would prove to be the match winner. In the 69th minute he received a pass down Tottenham's left wing from the impressive Paul Gascoigne. Moving towards goal with Paul Ince in his way, Lineker dropped his shoulder to work some space for his shot. As the ball rolled towards the edge of the penalty area, Lineker drew back his right foot.
Goalkeeper Jim Leighton was helpless as Lineker's shot curled past him into the top left corner of his net. Lineker ran away in celebration, both arms aloft as he headed towards the halfway line with a huge grin spread across his face. Perhaps there was also an element of surprise and amazement in his facial expressions, as this was far from the normal way he scored goals for a living.
Lineker had been discussing his lack of long range goals with Gascoigne prior to the match. Watching the memorable 101 Great Goals video on the team coach before the match, both marvelled at some of the screamers on show. "I told Paul Gascoigne that I had never scored one. And the next thing I did!"
Ferguson, who had almost signed Lineker when Barcelona rejected Tottenham's first bid, was left to consider whether his luck would ever change. Joking that Lineker was never seen that far from goal, he was magnanimous enough to compliment the quality of the winner. "If you're going to lose, then at least you might as well be beaten by a great goal like that."
During Euro 2024, Lineker discussed his winner at Old Trafford with Micah Richards on The Rest is Football podcast. Describing Xherdan Shaqiri's first time strike from outside the box for Switzerland against Scotland, Lineker was initially in self-deprecating mode. "I never hit one like that in my life," Lineker shrieked. "I'm never that far out." But then he recalls his strike in December 1989.
"Do you know what? I only scored one goal in my career that was from outside [the box], well that's not true. I scored other goals from outside the box, but they'd be one-on-one with the keeper and I'd dink it over him or something like that. But to score a proper goal, top bins, as they call it, from outside the box, there's only been one in my whole career."
"That was at Old Trafford and it was for Tottenham and we won one-nil, and I cut it from the left hand side, and I cut it onto my right foot and I whipped it into the top corner from, it felt like 30 yards but when I've seen it back it's actually about 20. But it was the only one I ever did like that during my whole career."
As the years progressed, Tottenham teams came, saw, and left with very little in league matches at Old Trafford. Clint Dempsey's tap-in would be Tottenham's next winning goal at Old Trafford in September 2012. Pedro Mendes may argue differently of course. Had his goal been allowed to stand in 2005 then that would have been a long range winner worthy of succeeding Lineker's effort.
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