Gary Lineker reveals unique Man Utd achievement that stands alone in his career

Gary Lineker has recalled a unique moment in his career that only occurred against Manchester United.

The Match of the Day host was a predatory striker in his playing days for Leicester, Everton, Barcelona and Tottenham. Lineker was renowned for being in the right place at right time, with close-range finishes making up the vast majority of his goals.

Goal of month contenders certainly weren’t part of his repertoire. In fact, he netted just one genuine long-range stunner in his entire career – and it came at Old Trafford. Lineker was reminded of the strike – for Tottenham in 1989 – as he and Micah Richards discussed Xherdan Shaqiri’s stunning equaliser for against Scotland for Switzerland on The Rest is Football podcast.

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The 32-year-old, who now plays for Chicago Fire in the MLS, took advantage of an Anthony Ralston error to cancel out Scott McTominay’s deflected opener in Cologne. Asked by Richards to dissect the goal, Lineker joked: “I never scored a goal like that in my life, I was never that far out!

“I scored one goal in my career from outside the box. That’s not quite correct as I scored others, but they were one-on-ones when I dinked it over the keeper. But a proper [long-range] goal, top bins as they call it, I only scored one in my whole career in about 300-odd goals.

“It was at Old Trafford for Tottenham. We won 1-0. I cut in onto my right foot and whipped it into the top corner. It felt like 30 yards but, when you watch it back, it’s actually about 20 [yards].

“My celebration, I ran and I ran and I ran. I was exhausted after it! It was amazing, the feeling.”