Goals, goals, goals, for everything we love about the game of football, it always comes back to the goals.
They can be the reason we run around celebrating like little kids, and they can be the reason behind a bad weekend, but sometimes they can simply be out of this world.
With that in mind, Football FanCast has created a list of every Match of the Day Goal of the Season winner since the turn of the millennium, and there are some crackers.
1999/00: Paolo Di Canio vs Wimbledon
West Ham United legend Paolo Di Canio has been at the centre of his fair share of iconic – and controversial – footballing moments. Still, we reckon his goal against Wimbledon in the Premier League might be his favourite.
The Hammers would win the game 2-1, and this spectacular volley opened the scoring.
2000/01 – Shaun Bartlett vs Leicester City
The second goal on the list is remarkably similar to the first.
Charlton Athletic’s Shaun Bartlett makes a wonderful run into the box, where he is found with an equally wonderful cross that he leathers into the far corner on the volley.
It’s a thing of beauty and well worth its place on this list.
2001/02 – Dennis Bergkamp vs Newcastle United
Now, the Puskas Award didn’t exist back in the 2001/02 season, but if it did, you can be certain that Dennis Bergkamp’s iconic Premier League goal against Newcastle United would have been a winner.
Everything about this goal is beautiful. The cross from Robert Pires, Bergkamp’s touch and turn, and then his pinpoint finish into the far corner.
So good is this goal, in fact, that some still argue that he didn’t mean it – not us, though.
2002/03 – Thierry Henry vs Tottenham Hotspur
Alongside Bergkamp, Thierry Henry was one of the central men responsible for Arsenal’s golden era in the early 2000s, so it shouldn’t be all that surprising to see that it was the Frenchman who was awarded the goal of the season in 2002/03, just one year after his Dutch teammate.
The goal was stunning, with the forward running the entire length of the pitch, beating two defenders and then slotting it into the far corner.
The fact that it was in the North London Derby certainly helps give it that bit more gravitas – as does Henry’s iconic celebration in front of the away end.
2003/04 – Dietmar Hamann vs Portsmouth
Everyone loves a long shot; there is just something so incredibly satisfying about watching a player pelt the ball into the top corner from 30 yards out, and that is precisely what Liverpool’s Dietmar Hamann did against Portsmouth in the 2003/04 campaign.
What’s even more impressive is that the German took this shot in just the sixth minute, which set the tone for the rest of the match as the Reds played out a comfortable 3-0 win.
2004/05 – Wayne Rooney vs Middlesbrough
Wayne Rooney was a player who made a habit of scoring spectacular goals – as you’ll see later on – but his first goal of the season winner came in the Fourth Round of the FA Cup against Middlesbrough in January 2005.
It might not be quite as powerful as Di Canio’s volley a few years prior, but the goal was still a thunderbolt that very few, if any, keepers would’ve been able to stop.
2005/06 – Steven Gerrard vs West Ham United
Steven Gerrard is a man responsible for so many magical moments on a football pitch it can be hard to remember them all, but if there is one that people will never forget, it is his outstanding goal against West Ham in the 2006 FA Cup final.
The fact that he was so far out-of-the-box makes it impressive anyway, but the fact that it was a 91st-minute equaliser and one that allowed the team to eventually win on penalties makes it a genuinely iconic goal in English football.
2006/07 – Wayne Rooney vs Bolton Wanderers
Rooney’s second appearance was on this list, but this goal was a joint effort between the Englishman and a young Portuguese star, Cristiano Ronaldo.
The finish itself isn’t particularly crazy, but the interplay between Rooney and Ronaldo looks so simple and smooth that it’s hard not to be impressed with the efficiency of the counterattack.
2007/08 – Emmanuel Adebayor vs Tottenham Hotspur
Emmanuel Adebayor is a name that can stir a lot of emotion in North London, having played for both sides in his career, but his only appearance on this list comes from his time in red and white.
The goal itself was a stunning half-volley that gave the keeper no chance of saving it, and the fact that it was against Tottenham only made it all the more impressive.
2008/09 – Glen Johnson vs Hull City
Glen Johnson might be a player far more famous for his time at Liverpool, but we don’t think he ever scored a goal quite as good as this one for Portsmouth.
The goal gave Pompey the lead against Hull City, but the Southcoast side couldn’t hold on til the end, conceding an 86th-minute equaliser.