Lineker’s last European hurrah
vs Porto, Cup Winners’ Cup, 1991
Gary Lineker may have been one of the world’s great goalscorers, but he wasn’t known as a scorer of great goals.
By his own admission, he was never likely to dribble from his own half, beating opponent after opponent. “I couldn’t even beat a drum!” Lineker chuckles to FFT.
Not that it stopped him bagging ITV’S Goal of the Season gong in 1991-92 – finishing a superb team move for Spurs in the Cup Winners’ Cup Second Round.
The Lilywhites hosted Porto at White Hart Lane donning a yellow away shirt – UEFA rules made the home team change if there was a clash.
Paul Allen began a largely one-touch move involving Pat Van Den Hauwe, Vinny Samways and Lineker himself. The passing became ever more frenetic before Van Den Hauwe flicked the ball into the area and Allen headed on for Lineker to breeze beyond Fernando Couto and poke inside goalkeeper Vitor Baia’s near post. “It was obviously my customary tap-in!” Lineker smiles. “I have a terrible memory for goals – I see ones on TV that I have no recollection of scoring. But that was certainly one of the best team goals I was involved in. We were a decent side to watch, but just a couple of players short of challenging for a European trophy or the First Division title.” Indeed, while Lineker netted another that night and Spurs progressed 3-1 on aggregate, they would succumb to Feyenoord in the quarter-finals. The two goals against Porto were Lineker’s last in European action, as he departed to join Grampus Eight at the end of that season.