When Asmir Begovic scored against Southampton last November, he knew he had done something unusual.
It was not just that he became the first Stoke player to score at the Britannia Stadium since August, nor that his long-range punt made him - at that moment - the club’s joint leading scorer in the Barclay’s Premier League. It was that his shot travelled almost 92 metres, from one goalmouth right into the opposition net.
At the time the Bosnia-Herzegovina goalkeeper described the goal, which occurred after just 13 seconds, as a “freak”. Today he had more reason to smile, after being included in the 2015 Guinness World Records Book for the “longest goal scored in football”.
“I feel amazing to be honoured in this way and as a goalkeeper I didn’t expect this to happen, not for this type of record anyway - I will take it though and enjoy it,” Begovic said, adding that the certificate would take “pride of place” on his wall.
The goal in question caught the wind before bouncing over Artur Boruc, his opposite number. It was measured at 91.9 metres (301ft 6in) and beat Tim Howard’s goal against Everton - the previous longest - from 2012.
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Top ten longest-distance goals in Premier League since 2006:
91.9m, Asmir Begovic, for Stoke v Southampton, Nov 2013
89.7m, Tim Howard, for Everton v Bolton, Jan 2012
85.2m, Paul Robinson, for Tottenham v Watford, Mar 2007
61.0m, Xabi Alonso, for Liverpool v Newcastle, Sept 2006
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60.9m, Maynor Figueroa, for Wigan v Stoke, Dec 2009
49.8m, Wayne Rooney, for Man Utd v West Ham, Mar 2014
45.9m, Stephen Hunt, for Hull v Tottenham, Aug 2009
45.4m, Frank Lampard, for Chelsea v Wigan, Jan 2007
45.1m, Matt Taylor, for Bolton v Middlesbrough, Apr 2009
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43.5m, Jonjo Shelvey, for Swansea v Aston Villa, Apr 2014