There's many ways to score a goal, and ultimately it doesn't matter how you do it. They all count, after all. But while a tap-in is worth just as much as a goal from a player's own half, it's not quite the same thing to watch. There's nothing like seeing a truly great goal, be it a free kick, a chip, a lob, a volley, whatever. Even including that, though, there's something special about seeing a ball struck harder than you'd think possible. A screamer; a thronker; an absolute thunderbastard. A Tony Yeboah, if you will (although sadly he has no place on this list) While reaching speeds of 100mph might not cause us to bat an eyelid when it's a serve in tennis, and approaching those speeds is fairly commonplace in cricket, it's generally more unheard of in football. In part, that's because we don't have a flashing speedometer whenever a ball is kicked, but also because it's really difficult to achieve such pace with a swing of your boot. But that's exactly what these 10 players did (whether it went in or not is a different matter).
Honourable Mention: Nicky Summerbee - 87MPH
Back in the 1990s, Nicky Sumerbee was cited as having the hardest shot in football, which was technically true at the time. He was recorded as hitting the ball at an impressive 87 miles per hour, which would have secured him 6th place on this list were it not for the fact that it didn't actually happen in a competitive game, but on an episode of BBC Record Breakers. Similarly, there are many players for the 'olden days' who might've made this list, but shot speeds weren't recorded, so someone like Ferenc Puskás didn't a chance of making this list. Now, onto the 10 who did.
NCTJ-qualified journalist. Most definitely not a racing driver. Drink too much tea; eat too much peanut butter; watch too much TV. Sadly only the latter paying off so far.
A mix of wise-old man in a young man's body with a child-like wonder about him and a great otherworldly sensibility.
