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Barking At The Moon
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  The Best Goal Celebrations.....Ever
10
 Fabrizio Ravanelli/Faustino Asprilla/Lee Sharpe - all the bloody time
These are the best representatives of the 'repeaters' - goalscorers who find a celebration they like and stick with it. Rava spawned a hundred copycat celebrations with his shirt over the head manoeuvre, Tino was somersaulting years before Robbie Keane was out of the youth team and Sharpe's corner-flag-assisted Elvis impressions delighted a generation of Manchester United fans (particularly the girlies).
9
 Ryan Giggs, Manchester United, v Arsenal, April 1999
This celebration is totally tied in with the supreme quality of the goal. Giggs received the ball from Vieira - 'He gave Giggsy the ball etc...' - at the halfway line, cut through what remained of the Arsenal team at breathtaking speed, slammed the ball high over Seaman and into the net then sprinted back the other way, all in one fluid motion. He ripped off his shirt, waving it around his head like the Marlboro Man with a lasso and revealed Austin Powersesque chest hair.
8
 Nwankwo Kanu, Nigeria, v Brazil, 1996 Olympics
A wonderfully talented player's finest hour. Nigeria were losing 3-2 to Brazil in the semi-finals when, two minutes before full time, Kanu equalised. Extra Time. Kanu promptly received the ball via a team-mate's back, turned a defender and fired in an 18-yard shot for the winning goal. Kanu set off in a stumbling lope about the field in the bandy-legged style of a new born calf with the rest of the Super Eagles copying him. The world assumed he was just celebrating with a mad Nigerian tribal dance but he later claimed his legs were actually collapsing under him. Whatever, it was a stunning way to celebrate Olympic triumph.
7
 Jurgen Klinsmann, Spurs, v Sheffield Wednesday, Aug. 1994
Jurgen the German was perhaps the supreme ambassador for foreigners in the Premiership. Coming to a country where the footballing public were, at best, wary of him and at worst openly hostile, Klinsmann poked fun at himself and his reputation as a diver by arriving at his first Tottenham press conference in scuba equipment. After scoring in a thrilling 4-3 win on the opening weekend of the season, he spread his arms wide, sprinted half the length of the pitch and flung himself spreadeagled onto the turf. Cultured, intelligent and humble, Jurgen taught the English that Germans were indeed, OK. Some of them, anyway.
6
 Finidi George, Nigeria, v Greece, USA 94
Finidi George marked the goal (a lovely chip) that took Nigeria through to the second round of the 1994 World Cup finals by getting down on all fours and crawling around the penalty area, occasionally cocking a leg in the style of a dog marking his territory - the 18-yard box was Finidi's turf, y'see?
5
 Bebeto, Brazil, v Holland, USA 94
Another one from the golden age of goal celebrations. The defensive-minded Brazilians were in the process of just edging out the least talented Dutch team we'd seen for ten years, when out of nowhere, the latin spirit that made Brazil so famous appeared after Bebeto scored in the 62nd minute. He raced to the touchline and waved his outstretched arms from side to side like he was rocking his new-born child to sleep. The delighted look on his face was appropriate for a man who'd just scored a goal in the World Cup and had a sprog.
4
 Marco Tardelli, Italy, v West Germany, 1982 World Cup Final
If anyone has ever doubted whether sports in general, or football in particular actually matter, all that needs to be done is to take a look at a photo of Tardelli after scoring the second goal for Italy in the World Cup Final. Tardelli had turned his defender and lashed in a fierce cross-shot. He wheeled away from goal and just ran and ran and ran, fists pumping and neck-veins sticking out like guy-ropes. The release of emotion that accompanied his goal is difficult to describe in words. The expression on his face was frightening, and frankly, he looked a bit of a nutter.
3
 Paul Gascoigne, England, v Scotland, Euro 96
Preparations for the first major football tournament held on English soil since 1966 was clouded in controversy for the home nation. A pre-tournament tour to Hong Kong and a Cathay Pacific flight home was, allegedly, a booze filled orgy of tequila-gargling, TV-smashing chaos. Yet the supposed ringleaders of the rowdy England party all turned out to play blinders during the tournament. None more so than Gazza, who again teased us with flashes of the skill that marked him out as England's one true football genius. His goal against the Scots was outrageous, deftly lobbing defender Colin Hendry and then volleying past Andy Goram, but the celebration was even more of a jaw-dropper. As Gazza lay in what was now known as the 'Dentist's Chair' position, Teddy Sheringham, Jamie Redknapp, Steve McManaman and co rushed to squirt bottles of water into his mouth. Cheeky monkeys!
2
 Roger Milla, Cameroon, v Romania, Italia 90
Is it any wonder that almost everyone's second team at a World Cup is an African one? They play the game the way it should be played, with attacking intent, obvious joy and startlingly crude fouls. No-one symbolised this African spirit more than the Cameroon team of 1990 and their talismanic striker Roger Milla. Milla was 38 - and possibly even older - when he came off the bench to score two against Romania in this second round tie. He celebrated both goals by running to the corner flag and doing a fantastic lambada-style wiggle. African football had arrived on the world stage.
1
 Francisco Gallardo, Sevilla, v Valladolid, November 2001
Unlike everyone else in our list, Francisco wasn't the scorer of the goal which sparked the unforgettable celebration. He was more David May than Ole Gunner Solskjaer, if you like. When his team-mate Jose Antonio Reyes scored in Sevilla's 4-0 win, Francisco felt the best way to express his joy would be to have a quick nibble of Reyes' penis in the post-goal pile-up.

 

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