For some, it was like the last throw of the discus in an Olympic final – arms stretched wide like an aeroplane, the force and propulsion drawing gasps of disbelief.
Others immediately began to think of the final seconds of the Super Bowl, the quarterback shuffling into space then throwing with all his might in the hope of connecting with his running back: hit the target and the stadium erupts as a touchdown is on the way.
Either way, Nick Pope did something remarkable in Newcastle’s 3-0 skewering of Benfica, his quick-thinking and execution inviting that wonderful question: ‘Did you see that?’ If you haven’t, you must, because this was a moment that made you conjure images of Peter Schmeichel and Tom Brady rolled into one.
A brief description: in the 70th minute, Pope clutched the ball by his own penalty spot. He took a step, looked up at his options, took another step and then heaved a pass forward, curling and fading away from Benfica’s defenders into the path of Harvey Barnes, who scampered up the pitch and scored.
It was fitting that Barnes celebrated by mimicking a bow and arrow because Pope had flung a 65-yard bullseye, his role in the goal reflected by the fact a posse including Kieran Trippier, Sandro Tonali and Dan Burn mobbed him. We know goalkeepers get assists but this made everyone go ‘wow’.
‘Everything about Nick is absolutely outstanding,’ Martyn Margetson, who is Swansea and Wales’s head of goalkeeping and who worked with Pope for England, tells Daily Mail Sport. ‘His journey hasn’t been straightforward through his career but he has always grabbed his opportunities with both hands.
Nick Pope unleashed a throw redolent of a Super Bowl quarterback in Newcastle’s 3-0 win over Benfica on Tuesday
Pope sees Harvey Barnes darting up the pitch (1). He launches a 65-yard throw (2) which lands perfectly for the winger (3), who takes the ball in his stride (4) before scoring (5)
‘You could see in how everyone celebrated with him what the dressing room thinks of him as a character, but they will also have appreciated what outstanding play it was. From a tactical point of view, it couldn’t be faulted because he’s scanned the pitch so quickly and passed it perfectly.
‘Don’t forget that he had major surgery in his right shoulder. The strength of mind to recover from that and then build up the strength to generate the force to throw it like that cannot be understated. He’s a tremendously powerful goalkeeper with huge levers, as we’d call his arms.’
It’s two years since Pope dislocated his shoulder during a 1-0 win over Manchester United, the damage so severe it required surgery and ultimately cost him a place in Gareth Southgate’s squad for Euro 2024: this detail is important to remember when considering the biomechanics of the throw.
So how did he do it? Rob Green, the one-time England international and now respected analyst with BBC 5 Live, outlined the kind of intensity Pope would have had to subject himself to in order to build himself back up to physical optimisation.
‘It would all start with elastic resistant band work, focusing on controlled movements,’ Green explains. ‘He would then be in the gym with cable crossover machines, the constant repetition of lifting weights. That’s the side of things nobody appreciates about being a goalkeeper.
‘The training is so difficult. It’s about building up your strength, being able to withstand hits. You need powerful shoulders, first and foremost, to keep out shots but what Nick did against Benfica was incredible. For a lad who has been criticised for his distribution, everything was exceptional.’
Green’s first thought, as he saw the ball sailing perfectly into Barnes’s path, was to think about a golfer. The key to striking a ball sweetly, as every frustrated hacker will know, is not trying to put too much power behind your swing and that is precisely what Pope did.
The Newcastle goalkeeper was immediately set upon by team-mates (from left) Kieran Trippier, Sven Botman and Malick Thiaw
Barnes duly celebrated with a bow-and-arrow gesture in tribute to his goalkeeper’s bullseye
The achievement is even more impressive in light of the major surgery Pope had to undergo after dislocating his shoulder two years ago
‘Watch it back again – as he soon as he lets it go, he knows it’s got a massive chance of connecting,’ says Green, whose clubs included West Ham and Chelsea. ‘I had an understanding with Darren Huckerby at Norwich that if I could get a ball over the opposing right back’s shoulder, he’d be away.
‘People will look at it and think he’s thrown it and hoped for the best but that is something Newcastle have worked on – it was absolutely premeditated, and how effective was it? He took seven players out of the game with his telescopic arms and the finish was incredible. It was just brilliant play.’
An old analogy was that forwards were the first line of defence but it is now a case that goalkeepers are the first line of attack; the Brazilians Ederson and Alisson were instrumental in changing things in the Premier League and Pope is maintaining standards.
‘All credit to Nick,’ says Margetson. ‘It’s such quick-thinking and to be able to analyse the picture so clearly and then pull it off speaks volumes for his ability and professionalism. Peter Schmeichel was noted for doing that. It’s a devastating weapon to have in your locker.’
