In addition to ubiquitous cat videos, YouTube serves as a veritable clearinghouse for amazing footballing exploits. While many of these displays of superhuman skills have been performed on the world’s biggest stages — the Champions League, La Liga, the English Premier League, the Bundesliga — even more are training goals.
After all, who wants to attempt a trick when the stakes are high and a mistake could cost their team a match? (Well, some players – and fans – go big and fail dramatically.)
The18 has reported on these feats of footy magic before, such as Zlatan’s zinger “Kung-Fu” goal, but we decided to save you, dear reader, from the YouTube wormhole and present our own best-ever training ground goals.
Related: Just How Good Are Pros? These Training Goals Will Show You.
10 Amazing Training Goals You'll Never See In Games
#10. Fabio Borini
The Italian Borini flamed out at Liverpool — at least on matchday. He put home this cracker in training for the Reds before moving on to current club Sunderland.
#9. Karl Henry
Don’t you mean Thierry? Nope. Karl, who plays for QPR, put home this perfect volley in training.
#8. Wesley Sneijder
Remember Sneijder? We do. The Dutchman, who now plays for Galatasaray, scored this beauty in 2012.
#7. Jeremy Helan
We know…Who? Helan is a Frenchman who plays left back for English second-tier club Sheffield Wednesday, and he may join the long list of footballers whose best highlights happened when only the cell-phone cameras were turned on. We’re thinking of you, Freddy Adu.
#6. Ibrahim Afellay
Another Dutch treat, this time from Afellay, who plays for Stoke City. He performed this flick and kick while with PSV.
#5. Martin Demichelis
Demichelis, an Argentine, is a central defender for Manchester City. If this clip is any indication, his teammate and countryman Kun Aguero may have some competition for a place.
#4. Dimitri Payet
Payet, another Fabulous Frenchman, has scored a bunch in his relatively young career – but none of his in-match tallies have been as pretty as this practice marker at West Ham.
#3. Lionel Messi
What’s a best-of list without the great Leo? This masterpiece from behind the sticks features a shirtless Messi no less.
#2. Xabi Alonso
In a classic case of “anything you can do, I can do better,” Messi’s former El Classico rival Alonso, who now plays for Bayern Munich, takes one from behind the line in training.
1. Scott Sinclair
Sinclair, the English winger, is well traveled. If he could only reproduce this magic when it matters, he could save current club Aston Villa from relegation.
