When you’re a defensive midfielder, goals can be hard to come by, meaning that if one attempt happens to find the back of the net, it’s a rather momentous occasion.
On Saturday, Marten de Roon quickly made a name for himself when he headed in a cross at the back post past Claudio Bravo to grab a later equaliser for Middlesbrough against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.
Barely breaking his stride from the header to the celebration, the midfielder, who was signed for €15m from Atalanta in the summer, ran to the away end to celebrate with fans and teammates as Boro walked away from the Etihad with an unlikely point.
Speaking to De Telegraaf on Monday, the 25-year-old tried to put into words what happened after his header hit the back of the net on Saturday.
He said: “Many footballers do a dance at such times, I don’t know what I did. This is, so far, the number one moment in my career, besides my professional debut. That cross from George Friend was put with so much power in the box, then I hit it hard with my head.”
Scoring just 11 goals in 214 professional appearances in his career so far, De Roon will be hoping this could be the start of many more, although we doubt he, and Middlesbrough fans, should be holding their breath just yet.
If they happen to be few and far between, but always end up as important, then we doubt anyone will care.
