Darren Bent continues to terrorise Liverpool hero on anniversary of iconic beach ball goal

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It's been 16 years since a beach ball became Sunderland's 12th man - and Darren Bent is still scoring points from it. The former England striker's infamous goal against Liverpool - deflected into the history books by a rogue inflatable - remains one of the Premier League's most bizarre moments.

The goal - which secured Sunderland's 1-0 victory over Liverpool on October 17, 2009 - was so surreal that it has, in some ways, overshadowed Bent's remarkable legacy, which includes more than 100 Premier League goals, a milestone only 33 other players have reached.

Unsurprisingly, Bent hasn't let the moment go to waste, regularly poking fun at ex-Liverpool defender Glen Johnson , the man who came mere millimetres from preventing one of English football's most iconic strikes.

"I speak to Glen Johnson about it - he's a good friend of mine," Bent said speaking exclusively to Mirror Football . "We started at England youth together. We have a laugh and a joke about it.

"Even when I see him now we laugh about it, because he stuck his foot out, but it went past his foot and hit the beach ball. So we have a joke about it, I take the mickey out of him."

Had VAR existed in 2009, the goal would almost certainly have been disallowed. Under the laws of the game, any foreign object that directly interferes with a goalscoring opportunity should lead to a stoppage and a dropped ball.

As it stands, however, the strike remains the most memorable goal of Bent's career, which included notable spells at Tottenham , Aston Villa , Sunderland , Charlton , and Ipswich . When asked if he resented being known as "the beach ball guy," the 41-year-old insisted he didn't mind, though he admitted the constant references can be irritating.

"It doesn't faze me," he said. "I'm incredibly proud of what I managed to achieve. A lot of it is to do with the fact VAR is in the league now. Back when I was playing there was no VAR which is why that goal stood.

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"It can be frustrating, but it's one of them where it's a really freak moment in Premier League history. It doesn't really bother me. Every year it seems to get bigger which is kind of strange, but I've got no issues with that... Because, with VAR, we'll never see anything like that goal again, I think that's why it gets so amplified."

Recalling the goal on Sky Sports years later, Bent said: "Andy Reid got down the line on the right. He had a wand of a left foot - but as it was on his right foot, I knew he'd cut it back and get it into a good area.

"I remember it coming across the box and as it bounced up and was on its way to me, I was thinking to myself, 'hit the target. Hit the target'. I didn't connect with it that well but I knew it was going on target… Then it hit the beach ball and went in!"

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The ball had been thrown onto the field by Liverpool fan Callum Campbell, who, at just 16, was later subjected to death threats over his actions. He admitted he "couldn't eat" in the aftermath, describing the experience as his "worst nightmare."

"When I got home I went into the garden and threw up. I was physically sick - and that's before the death threats started appearing on the internet the next day," he told Mirror Football a few days after the match.

"I watched it over and over again, and I still can't work out how it happened," he added. "But my mum tells me it wasn't my fault - and that's what I have to believe. The referee should never have allowed the goal. I just hope the real fans understand and forgive me."

Years later, Bent expressed sympathy for Callum. "When I read about that [the abuse he suffered], I found it quite appalling," he said. "Here was a football fanatic enjoying the atmosphere of following his team away. Everything about what he did that day was as a supporter of his club.

"As I have previously said, it was just a freak of nature that everything conspired into that moment. He had no clue - like the rest of us - how it would pan out."

In time, the anger faded and the moment became a quirky footnote in football folklore, a reminder of just how unpredictable the game can be. More than a decade and a half has passed now and while the inflatable may be long gone, its legacy endures.

Bent still grins at the memory, Johnson still takes the ribbing in stride and fans across the country now celebrate a moment so wonderfully absurd that, with VAR in the league, we'll probably never see anything quite like it again.

Darren Bent is raising awareness of The Football Association’s Silent Support Weekend. More information is available on the England Football website.

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