The Aston Villa midfielder scored a stunner against Italy in 2009, but had scored since.
Glenn Whelan (L) of Ireland
Aston Villa defeated Sheffield Wednesday at the weekend, to get back to winning ways in the Championship. Villa are in a race for promotion from the second tier and the 4-1 win was certainly a big boost for Steve Bruce’s side.
There was even a surprise goalscorer. Seeing Lewis Grabban, Conor Hourihane and Robert Snodgrass on the scoresheet would not shock Villa fans - but Glenn Whelan’s name isn’t regularly on the scoresheet.
The Irishman scored the equalising goal in the 67th minute, against his former club, with what was his first for Villa.
In fact, it was his first for quite some time, but the last goal he scored came against fairly illustrious opposition - as he revealed to Bruce after the game.
Glenn Whelan of Stoke City scores
The Aston Villa boss has told BBC West Midlands Sport:
“He just told me the last one he scored was against (Gianluigi) Buffon.”
The goal Whelan is referring to came on the 10th October 2009. Playing for Ireland in a World Cup qualifier he smashed the ball home from 30 yards past one of the best goalkeepers in football history after being teed up by a cheeky Liam Lawrence free-kick.
But that actually wasn’t his last goal. He scored in November 2011, not against Buffon, but against Paul Robinson of Blackburn Rovers.
Glenn Whelan of Aston Villa
He has in fact scored on three other occasions since that fabulous strike v Buffon - with Heurelho Gomes, Shay Given and Dragan Djukic his other victims.
But in fairness, the one v Buffon, with all due respect to the other stoppers, will undoubtedly be the freshest in the memory.
Aston Villa fans will just hope he doesn’t have to wait another six odd years to find the back of the net again.
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