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Flashback to 26 June 1990: Bologna, Italy: with penalties looming David Platt volleys England to a stunning second-round victory over Belgium David Platt, England midfielder “I started as a substitute. I can remember little snatches of the game. John Barnes having a volleyed goal harshly disallowed, Belgium hitting the woodwork twice, I can still see Enzo Scifo hitting the post with a tremendous strike from 25 yards. I was at the other end of the bench from Bobby Robson and didn’t have much contact with him. Having since been a manager I now know that the emotions he must have been going through were far more intense than mine. I came on for Steve McMahon [in the 71st minute].” John Motson, commentating on BBC1 in extra-time after 119 goalless minutes: “Gerets challenges Gascoigne. Free-kick given to England …” Platt: “It was the last minute. There was a free-kick in the centre.” Motson: “… Gascoigne shaping to take it …” Platt: “Gazza was on it. I was in the box trying to get a yard or half of space.” Motson: “… and chipped in …” Platt: “I was spinning, the ball dropped over my shoulder and I just tried to get something on it.” Motson: “… and volleyed in …” Platt: “There wasn’t a great deal of power. It was all technique.” Motson: “… and it’s there! …” Platt: “I saw it going in and fell to my knees.” Motson: “… by David Platt! …” Platt: “Everything was intuitive, the way I met and hit the ball and then dropping to my knees. Instinct just took over. I’d never ever dropped to my knees after scoring before, I don’t know why I did.” Motson: “… England have done it! In the last minute of extra-time!” Platt: “But when you score a goal like that you just go outside yourself for a bit, everything is surreal. The adrenaline surge is so great it’s as if I really was in a different place, a different world.” Motson: “… That’s the biggest smile in world football tonight – David Platt of Aston Villa.” Platt: “Don’t get me wrong, the goal wasn’t a fluke. I had an eye for getting on the end of that sort of ball and the technical ability to finish those chances off. I worked hard on practising overhead kicks and volleys in training at Aston Villa but, even so, if I had re-enacted that chance against Belgium 10 times in training the next day there’s a very good chance I wouldn’t have scored once from it. It was just one of life’s rare, perfect moments.” Motson: “He turned, volleyed and what a good finish.” Platt: “The one place where things didn’t go right was almost as soon as I left the pitch. One minute I was euphoric and the next I was being hauled off for a random drug test. It was hot and you’re so dehydrated after playing that it took 40 minutes – which passed very, very slowly – for me to produce a sample. I was in a room with a couple of Belgians who were seriously unhappy because they’d just been knocked out. I didn’t know what to say. By the time I came out the other players all had their suits on and the euphoria had passed.” Motson: “One of the most dramatic goals in the World Cup – and probably one of the best. England through to the quarter-finals of the World Cup.” Platt: “After finally getting back to the hotel and having something to eat I decided it was too late to phone my then girlfriend, now my wife, Rachel. For some reason I thought she’d be in bed and annoyed if I woke her up. In reality everyone was having a party and expecting a call from me. Nowadays my mobile phone would have been going mad with texts and voice messages but in 1990 the England squad were isolated from everything. “If I hadn’t scored that goal, I might still have ended up playing in Italy [Platt went on to play for Bari, Juventus and Sampdoria] but, realistically, I’m sure it was the catalyst. Italian clubs were looking for international names and, before that goal, I was only really known as a club player with Aston Villa. We’ve got a home in Sardinia now. The goal was a big catalyst.” World Cup 2010 Louise Taylor guardian.co.uk

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World Cup 2010: David Platt relives Italia 90 volley against Belgium