Stunned fans say ‘Rory Delap eat your heart out’ as player launches acrobatic throw-in an ‘insane’ distance
RORY DELAP has been de-throwned as king of the throw-ins.
That’s the verdict from fans after an amazingly-acrobatic hurl in the Persian Gulf League propelled the ball an “insane distance” – from almost level with one box to the fringe of the opposition area.
“Wtf have I just seen” and “Rory Delap eat your heart out” were among the responses online to the body-flip throw.
And just like the famous throws from the former Stoke midfielder, this effort caused havoc as it nearly conjured a goal.
Delap’s overhead missiles were both the most hated and most admired tactic of Tony Pulis’ blood-and-thunder reign at the Potteries.
The long-ball bombardment under Pulis from 2006-2013 took Stoke into the Premier League and for a while was a major pain in the neck for ‘bigger’ rivals.
Ex-Southampton and Republic of Ireland star Delap made the Potters more dangerous from throw-ins than corners.
And memories of that sense of dread for defences came flooding back when fans spotted a clip from the Iranian top-flight.
But the tactics from Zob Ahan failed to prevent title challengers Esteghlal from earning a 2-0 win.
One observer posted: “This is straight out of shaolin soccer.
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Another commented: “Wtf man just casually throws it 50 meters”.
A third wrote: “Jesus Christ that ball flew.”
And a fourth kindly added his own story of how long throw-ins can mess with the mind.
He said: “I played a Sunday league game against a guy who could throw longer than I’ve seen in person since then, but nowhere near this distance, and it was probably the most confused I’ve been on a football field.
“I came away having an existential crisis and I haven’t been right since.”