Former Aston Villa striker Dean Saunders has revealed how his dream home debut for the club was completely overshadowed by one of football's most infamous misses.
The perfect start at Villa Park
Speaking on the Claret & Blue podcast, Saunders reminisced about his early days at Villa Park, where he quickly became a fan favourite during the early to mid-1990s. The Welsh striker made an immediate impact, scoring twice on his home debut against former club Liverpool in September 1992.
Villa emerged 4-2 winners in that memorable encounter, with Saunders' brace complemented by goals from Dalian Atkinson and Garry Parker. Liverpool had taken an early lead through former Villa player Mark Walters, setting the stage for Saunders' heroics.
The moment that stole the show
Despite Saunders' match-winning performance, the game is primarily remembered for Ronnie Rosenthal's astonishing miss that has become a staple of football blooper reels for over three decades.
The Israeli striker had what appeared to be the simplest of tasks when he rounded Villa goalkeeper Nigel Spink on the edge of the area, leaving himself with an empty net from just eight yards out. With the Holte End expecting the worst, Rosenthal somehow managed to fire his shot against the crossbar in what Saunders describes as one of football's most embarrassing moments.
"I remember watching him go round the goalkeeper and I was just waiting for him to roll it over the line and he hit the bar," recalls Saunders with amusement. "Then when I watched it back I thought it must have got a bobble, but it didn't. It didn't bobble."
Living in the shadow of a miss
Saunders expressed both amusement and frustration that his two-goal debut performance has been largely forgotten in favour of Rosenthal's remarkable miss. The former Villa star revealed that even decades later, fans still approach him primarily to discuss the Liverpool striker's misfortune rather than his own achievements that day.
"I've lost count of the number of people that have come up to me over the years and said, 'Hey, remember that chance Ronnie Rosenthal missed for Liverpool against Villa?'" Saunders explained. "I say, yeah, I was playing in that game. It was my home debut and I scored twice. They'll go was it? Yeah, but the game's remembered for Ronnie Rosenthal's miss."
The incident has become part of football folklore, regularly featuring in compilations of the game's most memorable misses. Despite the passage of 33 years, Rosenthal's failed attempt remains one of the most talked-about moments from that era of English football.
Saunders' appearance on the Claret & Blue podcast provided fascinating insight into a career that saw him become one of Villa's most popular players of the 1990s, even if one particular moment continues to overshadow his own dream debut.
