Aritz Aduriz once scored a penalty using a technique that you'd expect to see at your local 5-a-side Powerleague pitch.
The former Athletic Bilbao forward, who enjoyed three spells in the Basque Country, announced his retirement from football in May 2020 after doctors advised him to have hip replacement surgery.
He was all set to play in the Copa del Rey final against Real Madrid in April of that year but medical experts advised Aduriz to see a surgeon "sooner rather than later" and well, he never got to bow out in style.
That being said, the former Spain international, who is regarded by many as one the most underrated strikers in recent memory, can look back on his career with fond memories following spells at Mallorca, Valencia and Bilbao.
His time at Los Leones will go down in the history books. He scored 141 times across 296 appearances, with arguably his greatest goal coming during a La Liga clash against another former club, Real Valladolid.
With the score tied at 0-0 following a tense start to the game, Aduriz was handed the opportunity to convert from the spot. You've got to remember that Bilbao were fighting relegation at the time. Just take a look at this.
As you can see from the footage above, Aduriz takes one step back, composes himself and slots the ball past goalkeeper Jordi Masip in a quite remarkable display of confidence.
Here's a different angle of the penalty.
From the shortest run-up in recent memory to the longest. Last month, during a clash between Ryutsu Keizai Ogashi and Kindai Wakayama at the All Japan tournament, things took a strange turn during a penalty shoot-out.
After missing their first spot-kick, a Ryutsu Keizai Ogashi player stepped up to take their second after Kindai Wakayama made it 1-0. Was he nervous? Absolutely not.
In fact, he took tiny little steps for over 30 seconds in a bizarre scene. Can you imagine if he missed?
Let us know your preferred penalty technique in the comments.
Topics: Athletic Bilbao, La Liga, Real Valladolid, Spain
Jack Kenmare