The 15 best - or worst - own goals of all time

An own goal is something that can be seriously demoralising to any player.

The act of putting the ball past your own goalkeeper and into your own net can destroy a player’s confidence and ruin a team’s performance.

As laughing at failures is immensely satisfying, here is a list of the top 15 goals of all time…

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READ MORE: Sport’s five biggest howlers

#1: Vincent Kompany

If you do a role reversal and assume the Belgian centre-back is actually a striker, then you have undoubtedly just witnessed *the* greatest finish of all time. The swivel, the run and the chip over the keeper is simply sublime. Had it been at the other end, there would have been talk of a Puskas Award. Shame he was 104 yards out from the end he wanted to put it in.

#2: Tony Popovic

Scrap a Puskas for Kompany, Tony Popovic’s effort for Crystal Palace against Portsmouth in 2007 was deserving of a Nobel Peace Prize. Never before had so many people from so many backgrounds been brought together by laughing remorselessly at Popovic. The centre-back’s glorious flick came at the worst possible time for Palace, who were in contention to draw until the Australian made it 3-1 to Portsmouth.

#3: Lee Dixon

What is it with defenders and spectacular long-range goals? Roberto Carlos, Laurent Blanc and Lee Dixon all scored in spectacular fashion during their career. But only one of that list managed to put their wonder-strike into their own net. His casually lofted back-pass to David Seaman missed the former England keeper and sailed straight into the net.

#4: Djimi Traore

“Don’t blame it on Biscan; don’t blame it on Hamann; don’t blame it on Finnan; blame it on Traore…. He just can’t, he just can’t, he just can’t control his feet…”

Traore’s stunning and unnecessary flick against Burnley essentially dumped Liverpool out of the FA Cup third round in 2005.

#5: Jamie Pollock

Pollock’s own goal is probably the most famous in English football history. After flicking the ball over a Manchester City team-mate and QPR striker, the defender demonstrated superb composure to cushion a perfectly-weighted header over Martyn Margetson and into the open net behind him.

Proving that circumstances matter, the goal made sure of City’s relegation to the third tier, while simultaneously keeping QPR up.

#6: Adrien Gulfo

We think he meant to clear it, or he just really wanted to play for the team in white. Either way, this is a cracking finish from a centre-back, even if it’s in his own net.

#7: Festus Baise

It is genuinely difficult to establish what Festus Baise’s intentions were when he put ankle to ball in this match against Hong Kong FC. An under-hit cross that went behind the player left him (apparently) no option other than to throw his legs at it and hope. Hope it doesn’t go into his own net. Which it did.

#8: Gareth Bale

It isn’t too odd to find the prolific Welshman’s name appear in a list of great goals, however this literal stunner didn’t quite end up in the target he wanted it eg: away from the goal and his face.

#9: Sammy Ndjock

How do these things happen? Here is Minnesota United’s ‘explanation’…

https://youtu.be/G_iNNZ5E2Rc

#Jellygate

#10: Santiago Vergini

If you ever had to score an own goal, it’s probably best you do it in an 8-0 loss. Santiago Vergini was happy to oblige, as he thundered home Southampton’s second goal. This set the scene for Sunderland to concede another six before the final whistle.

#11: Franck Queudrue

Queudrue’s effort against Bastia is an own goal which you have to see to believe could ever happen. Keen to dispatch the ball as far away from his side’s half of the pitch as possible, the Lens defender only succeeded in launching the ball over a furiously backtracking goalkeeper into his own net.

#12: Wayne Hatswell

The centre-back seemed to be perfectly in control of the situation. Ball rolling back through mud and slowing, no strikers around him, time and space to rid of the ball from the area and still Hatswell manages to smash the ball into the very top corner of his own net.

Even goalkeeper Steve Perrin believed Hatswell would deal with the situation; just watch his reaction when the ball hits the net.

#13: Mickael Roche

The sight of an oncoming striker somehow scared goalkeeper Roche, who then performed what could probably be described as the most unbelievably tight finish of all time. Thankfully, there were no fans to mock him, only the internet.

#14: Goalkeeper in Ethiopian Premier League (nobody knows his name)

This keeper’s misery begins with the fact he is playing in the Ethiopian Premier League, and ends with the fact he probably hasn’t played since. As he motions to pick up the ball, one can only assume that he gets the ball stuck in his gloves and fails to release it – sending it hurtling into his own goal.

The fact that nobody knows this poor guy’s name has probably worked out in his favour, as this absolute howler would have him trolled on the internet eternally.

#15: Chris Brass breaks the internet (and his nose)

You’ve got to save the best for last…

Imagine this as your legacy. This is what defender Chris Brass lives with every day, as this face-smashing effort against Darlington was voted the best own goal of all time in an online poll.