Football
Wayne Rooney boxes clever: 12 knockout goal celebrations
By Eoghan Macguire, CNN
Updated 1051 GMT (1851 HKT) March 18, 2015
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Punch drunk. Wayne Rooney falls over after scoring in his team's 3-0 English Premier League victory against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday. The Manchester United captain was making light of a video which had appeared in a tabloid newspaper apparently showing him being knocked unconscious by former teammate Phil Bardsley.
As goal celebrations go, it was the perfect, light-hearted riposte to the controversy of Punchgate. But where does it rank in the pantheon of great celebrations?
We decided to have a look through some of the best from years gone by. Oli Scaff/Getty Images
As goal celebrations go, it was the perfect, light-hearted riposte to the controversy of Punchgate. But where does it rank in the pantheon of great celebrations?
We decided to have a look through some of the best from years gone by. Oli Scaff/Getty Images
Witty responses to tabloid controversies hardly come more overt and in-your-face than this.
Prior to the 1996 European Championships, England midfielder Paul Gascoigne was pictured on a team night out having a series of alcoholic drinks poured down his throat in a position known as the "dentist's chair". The English media roared at such antics before an important tournament.
So, after scoring against Scotland in England's second game of the tournament, Gascoigne celebrated by lying back in the dentist's chair position as teammates squirted water into his mouth. Stu Forster/Getty Images
Prior to the 1996 European Championships, England midfielder Paul Gascoigne was pictured on a team night out having a series of alcoholic drinks poured down his throat in a position known as the "dentist's chair". The English media roared at such antics before an important tournament.
So, after scoring against Scotland in England's second game of the tournament, Gascoigne celebrated by lying back in the dentist's chair position as teammates squirted water into his mouth. Stu Forster/Getty Images
Another up-yours to purported excess.
Robbie Fowler of Liverpool is pulled away by team mate Steve McManaman after mimicking snorting cocaine along the white paint of the Anfield touchline to mark his first goal in an English Premier League match against Everton in 1999.
The celebration seemed to be aimed at abusive Everton fans, although then Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier tried to sidestep the controversy by saying that Fowler was "eating the grass." Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images
Robbie Fowler of Liverpool is pulled away by team mate Steve McManaman after mimicking snorting cocaine along the white paint of the Anfield touchline to mark his first goal in an English Premier League match against Everton in 1999.
The celebration seemed to be aimed at abusive Everton fans, although then Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier tried to sidestep the controversy by saying that Fowler was "eating the grass." Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images
An altogether more wholesome celebration was Brazil striker Bebeto's "rock the baby" routine at the 1994 World Cup.
Bebeto's wife had given birth to the couple's third child a matter of days before so what better way to mark the occasion than by rocking the imaginary cradle? Teammates Romario and Mazinho, who are pictured either side of Bebeto, quickly joined in.
The celebration soon became the standard way for goal-scoring footballers to mark the birth of their children. Chris Cole/Getty Images
Bebeto's wife had given birth to the couple's third child a matter of days before so what better way to mark the occasion than by rocking the imaginary cradle? Teammates Romario and Mazinho, who are pictured either side of Bebeto, quickly joined in.
The celebration soon became the standard way for goal-scoring footballers to mark the birth of their children. Chris Cole/Getty Images
When Germany's World Cup winning striker Jurgen Klinsmann signed for Tottenham Hotspur in 1994, elements of the English media fretted that a man with a reputation for diving and playacting was coming to their country.
This was England, after all, where the cowardly act of diving was not wanted or accepted. Alas, when Klinsmann scored his first goal for his new club, he duly celebrated by stretching his arms out and belly-flopping on to the turf in an elaborate mock dive.
Not for the first time England was bettered by Germany on the football field... Shaun Botterill/Getty Images
This was England, after all, where the cowardly act of diving was not wanted or accepted. Alas, when Klinsmann scored his first goal for his new club, he duly celebrated by stretching his arms out and belly-flopping on to the turf in an elaborate mock dive.
Not for the first time England was bettered by Germany on the football field... Shaun Botterill/Getty Images
Another great striker, another diving celebration.
Prior to the first Merseyside derby of the 2012/13 Premier League season, former Everton manager David Moyes criticized strikers like Luis Suarez for diving by saying that they were turning fans away from the game.
Inevitably, a fired up Suarez scored. He then celebrated by running half the length of the pitch before throwing himself to the ground in front of Moyes with a huge grin on his face. All credit to Moyes, who saw the funny side of the celebration. Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
Prior to the first Merseyside derby of the 2012/13 Premier League season, former Everton manager David Moyes criticized strikers like Luis Suarez for diving by saying that they were turning fans away from the game.
Inevitably, a fired up Suarez scored. He then celebrated by running half the length of the pitch before throwing himself to the ground in front of Moyes with a huge grin on his face. All credit to Moyes, who saw the funny side of the celebration. Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
Managers often seem to be the butt of witty goal celebrations japes.
Here, Jimmy Bullard of Hull City mockingly tells off his teammates after scoring a penalty against Manchester City in 2009.
The midfielder was making light of then Hull manager Phil Brown who, a season before, had been so unimpressed by his side's first half display at the City of Manchester stadium that he carried out his furious halftime team talk on the pitch in full view of fans and cameras. Andrew Yates/Getty Images
Here, Jimmy Bullard of Hull City mockingly tells off his teammates after scoring a penalty against Manchester City in 2009.
The midfielder was making light of then Hull manager Phil Brown who, a season before, had been so unimpressed by his side's first half display at the City of Manchester stadium that he carried out his furious halftime team talk on the pitch in full view of fans and cameras. Andrew Yates/Getty Images
Few celebrations are as notorious in South America as the chicken dance employed by Carlos Tevez when he scored a late goal for Boca Juniors in the home of great Argentine rivals River Plate in 2004.
The occasion was the semifinals of that years Copa Libertadores and with River pejoratively known by fans of other Argentine clubs as "Los Gallinos" (the chickens) for their propensity to choke on the big stage it was an insult too far for the officials.
Tevez was sent off for the stunt but Boca still went through which made the celebration sting even more delicious for River fans. ALI BURAFI/Getty Images
The occasion was the semifinals of that years Copa Libertadores and with River pejoratively known by fans of other Argentine clubs as "Los Gallinos" (the chickens) for their propensity to choke on the big stage it was an insult too far for the officials.
Tevez was sent off for the stunt but Boca still went through which made the celebration sting even more delicious for River fans. ALI BURAFI/Getty Images
Who needs Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Marco Reus when you've got Batman and Robin?
Borussia Dortmund's own dynamic duo donned masks after Aubameyang opened the scoring in the Bundesliga match against local rivals Schalke last month.
It's not the first time Aubameyang has raided his fancy dress wardrobe after scoring. Earlier this year, he donned a Spiderman mask pulled from his shorts when he netted against Bayern Munich. Lars Baron/Getty Images
Borussia Dortmund's own dynamic duo donned masks after Aubameyang opened the scoring in the Bundesliga match against local rivals Schalke last month.
It's not the first time Aubameyang has raided his fancy dress wardrobe after scoring. Earlier this year, he donned a Spiderman mask pulled from his shorts when he netted against Bayern Munich. Lars Baron/Getty Images
Some loved this, others hated it.
When Francesco Totti scored for Roma in the Serie A clash with city rivals Lazio earlier this year, he celebrated by taking a pouting selfie of himself in front of fans with a phone passed to him by a member of Roma's coaching staff.
Was it a calculated ploy by a social media savvy football club to involve its fans -- the picture was later posted to the club's Twitter and Instagram accounts -- or was it yet another example of footballers' narcissistic streak? ANDREAS SOLARO/AFP/Getty Images/file
When Francesco Totti scored for Roma in the Serie A clash with city rivals Lazio earlier this year, he celebrated by taking a pouting selfie of himself in front of fans with a phone passed to him by a member of Roma's coaching staff.
Was it a calculated ploy by a social media savvy football club to involve its fans -- the picture was later posted to the club's Twitter and Instagram accounts -- or was it yet another example of footballers' narcissistic streak? ANDREAS SOLARO/AFP/Getty Images/file
Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli once notoriously celebrated a goal by revealing a t-shirt underneath his jersey asking "Why always me?" Was it arrogance, supreme self-confidence or just outright self-obsession?
When scoring a late winner for Liverpool against Tottenham Hotspur in a 3-2 Premier League victory earlier this year, however, the Italian striker seemed to have given up on drawing attention to himself altogether.
He instead performed the anti-celebration by barely recognizing what he had just done or his teammates excitable congratulations.
Why always him? Clive Brunskill
When scoring a late winner for Liverpool against Tottenham Hotspur in a 3-2 Premier League victory earlier this year, however, the Italian striker seemed to have given up on drawing attention to himself altogether.
He instead performed the anti-celebration by barely recognizing what he had just done or his teammates excitable congratulations.
Why always him? Clive Brunskill
He may be a former Liverpool star as well, but Peter Crouch's robot dance celebration could hardly be further from Mario Balotelli's post goal-scoring exploits.
The giant striker would make fans and teammates laugh by busting his, hardly edgy, moves which were made all the more hilarious by his lanky frame and tongue-in-cheek style. PAUL ELLISAFP/Getty Images
The giant striker would make fans and teammates laugh by busting his, hardly edgy, moves which were made all the more hilarious by his lanky frame and tongue-in-cheek style. PAUL ELLISAFP/Getty Images
