When ball boys steal the limelight and hit the big time
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Celebrating some of the most memorable big-time ball boys from planet football
Jose Mourinho's Tottenham staged a dramatic comeback in the Champions League last night, beating Olympiakos 4-2 at home, after having gone 2-0 down in the first half. Harry Kane got a brace and Dele Alli and Serge Aurier also bagged, but there was another, less obvious character, who came in for singular praise from the gaffer - the ballboy.
At 2-1, it was this lad's quick-thinking in lashing the ball to Serge Aurier - who then threw it to Lucas Moura to start off a successful attack - that got Spurs back on level terms.
"I love intelligent ball boys like I was. I was a brilliant ball boy as a kid," Mourinho told BT Sport. "And this kid today was brilliant. He reads the game, understands the game and made an important assist.
The humble ball boy or ball girl is typically a peripheral figure amid the superstars of modern football. It’s their job to operate in the shadows, collecting any loose pass or wayward clearance, and remaining steadfastly on-hand to deliver another synthetic orb onto the field of play whenever demanded by a millionaire player.
Sometimes, though, ball boys get the chance to shine, to steal the limelight.
And for some, there is even a higher calling - operating within the much-vaunted 'multi-ball system'.
You may remember that another ballboy, at another English club, had a decisive hand in a big Champions League fixture last season.
Liverpool ballboy helps beat Barcelona
The sound of commentator Steve Hunter saying, "Corner taken quickly, Origi!", is now etched into the collective memory of Liverpool fans around the world, after Trent Alexander-Arnold's guileful set-piece completed a comeback victory that meant Liverpool beat Barcelona 4-0 at home and progressed to the Champions League Final last season (which they went on to win).
Everyone remembers the quick free-kick that caught Barcelona napping, but another important character in that story was the ballboy who delivered to Alexander-Arnold to set up the whole thing.
The young hero was identified as Oakley Cannonier, external, who plays for Liverpool's academy.
The ballboy who tried to thwart Tottenham
Back in March 2018, Tottenham were on the end of some slightly less sporting play by a ballboy. Bournemouth were beaten 4-1- but not for lack of effort by this lad, who decided to help the lads out with some questionable tactics, outright refusing to give the ball to Jan Vertonghen.
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His antics earned him a fairly stern telling off from referee Mike Dean, as well as assured overnight fame.
Bristol City ballboy celebrates the winner
Back in December 2017, Bristol City players and fans were in raptures after the Championship side beat Manchester United 2-1, to progress to the semi-finals thanks to an injury-time winner from Korey Smith.
Head coach Lee Johnson celebrated the goal by running down the touchline and swinging a ball boy around. As you do.
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"I didn't know what to do," Johnson has said, adding, "I wanted to run and celebrate with the lads but I couldn't do that. He (the ball boy) was the only one there. It was great to see him because I needed to celebrate with somebody and it just so happened it was the ball boy."
Ballboy gets a 'Pep' talk
Pep Guardiola used to be a ball boy at Barcelona, and now as one of the world's greatest coaches is that much of a micro-manager that he appeared to coach a ball boy during Man City 5-0 win over Crystal Palace in 2017.
Everton ball boy trolls the whole world
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Some prime-time schoolboy trolling being employed here. He got us all - you have to give it to the lad.
Ball boy photobombs Portugal team photo
At the Euro 2016 semi-final, where Portugal beat Wales 2-0, one ball boy got himself in the mix for the team photo before kick-off. Ronaldo found it amusing.
In fact it's not the first time the Real Madrid star has seen the funny side when ball boys misbehave. One at Atletico Madrid absolutely owned him, external by holding the ball aloft when Ronaldo was desperate for it, then, as the player got closer he nonchalantly chucked it away. That took place during a 2-2 derby in 2014.
The ball boy was punished, external afterwards.
Aston Villa ball boy nutmegs Robert Green
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In 2015, QPR keeper Robert Green conceded three goals, with a hat-trick from Christian Benteke making it 3-3.
More embarrassing still, he also got nutmegged by a Villa ball boy.
Ball boy lies on ball – gets kicked by Eden Hazard
This is perhaps the most famous and controversial ball boy moment of them all – when Eden Hazard appeared to kick-out at one of Swansea’s touchline team during their 2013 Capital One Cup exit to the Swans. Hazard was sent off and South Wales Police took no action, but it was all very unsavoury and became a moral hot potato for a short while.
This article was originally published on 22 December 2017
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