Shooting Star - Stephanie Roche

A passion for the game, a natural talent with a football and a determination as a young girl to succeed in a boys’ world all helped lead up to the moment of magic which has seen Stephanie Roche nominated for Fifa’s 2014 Goal Of The Year.

Here are some key ingredients which went into the making of Stephanie Roche’s elevation from the relative anonymity of the women’s league in Ireland to a place on football’s world stage, chief among them, of course, that dream goal she scored when playing for Peamount United against Wexford Youths in October 2013.

First and foremost there was the sheer skill involved in her three steps to footballing heaven: the initial velvet touch to bring the ball under control, then the audacious flick to outfox her marker and finally, after a 180 degree pivot, the coup de grace – a spectacular volley into the far top corner.