Parlour? Villa? Gerrard? Ranking best FA Cup final goals

There's something magical about those seconds before the FA Cup final kicks off. Trumpets and tin-foil trophies, players as tense as the travelling fans, gaffers pacing the dugout in full club suits. The anticipation of a new hero emerging.

Everyone has an era in which they can reel off the details of every final - those childhood-turned-teenage years when the kits, colours, goalscorers and captains traipsing Wembley's steep steps are etched in the memory.

Don't ask me what happened a couple of years ago... but Paul Rideout in '95? Eric Cantona against Liverpool? All there in vivid detail.

Some goals, though, are written in FA Cup folklore, rolled out for every cup final montage - they're the belters, the moments of individual magic, the strikes that sealed shock wins. I've attempted to rank the top 10 below.

10. Youri Tielemans - Leicester v Chelsea 2021

The real Leicester City miracle was winning a 5,000-1 shot Premier League title five years earlier, but clinching a first FA Cup in 2021 was almost as special. And it was sealed with an absolute rasper.

Youri Tielemans received a pass inside the Chelsea half, took two touches to shift it out of his feet before angling a bullet-like drive into Kepa Arrizabalaga's top corner. Pick that out.

Covid restrictions meant only 20,000 were at Wembley to witness it but, as they head into League One five years on, Foxes fans will hold on to those fond cup-winning memories.

This isn't as technically satisfying as many of the efforts on the list, although a well-executed set-piece is not to be sniffed at, but not many goals come close to producing as big a shock as Wigan Athletic's win over Manchester City in 2013.

That the winner came in the 91st minute only added to the drama, Ben Watson rising like an Atlantic salmon to meet Shaun Maloney's corner at the front post and flick a looping header into the far corner against a City side who had won their first Premier League title the year before.

Wigan fans were back in London three days later, this time to watch their side get relegated from the Premier League after a 4-1 defeat at Arsenal.

8. Charlie George - Arsenal v Liverpool 1971

The celebration is iconic. Charlie George donned in yellow, laying down on his back, arms outstretched, lifting his head and scruffily sideburned cheeks before he is mobbed by Arsenal team-mates after scoring the winner against Liverpool deep into extra time.

You can almost sense the burning quads and cramping calf muscles through the grainy footage as George plays a one-two before lashing a strike beyond Ray Clemence from the edge of the box to seal Arsenal a league and cup double.

"As soon as it left my foot, I knew it was a goal," said the maverick Gunners forward.

Ray Parlour was never prolific. In fact, he had only scored once in 37 games all season before Arsenal's FA Cup final against Chelsea in 2002.

But the 'Romford Pele' could produce when it mattered. With 20 minutes to go at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, the midfielder's sweaty curls could be spotted bounding through blue shirts to pick up Sylvain Wiltord's pass.

Parlour looked like he wanted to shift the ball on to a team-mate but, as William Gallas and Marcel Desailly backed off, suddenly he had room 30 yards out to curl an effort beyond despairing goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini.

Freddie Ljungberg scored a special solo effort of his own 10 minutes later to take the trophy back to north London.

6. Norman Whiteside - Man Utd v Everton 1985

The odds were stacked against Manchester United, down to 10 men heading into extra time against an Everton side who were chasing a treble and had already beaten them twice that season.

But in the 110th minute, Mark Hughes threaded a ball into Norman Whiteside's path with the outside of his boot.

The midfielder scrambled down the right, cut in towards the edge of the box on his left and, with a subtle little stepover, created enough room to wrap a curling effort around Toffees defender Pat van den Hauwe and beyond keeper Neville Southall into the far corner.

"Some people have had the audacity to ask if it was a cross!" he later told BBC Radio 5 live.

5. Ilkay Gundogan - Man City v Man Utd 2023