It's been 16 years since a beach ball became Sunderland's 12th man - and Darren Bent is still reaping the benefits. The former Black Cats striker's notorious goal against Liverpool - deflected into the history books by a rogue inflatable - remains one of the Premier League's strangest moments.

The strike - which secured Sunderland's 1-0 win over Liverpool on October 17, 2009 - was so surreal that it, in many ways, has overshadowed Bent's impressive career, which boasts over 100 Premier League goals, a feat only 33 other players have achieved.

Unsurprisingly, Bent has never let the incident slide, often teasing ex-Liverpool defender Glen Johnson, the player who came mere millimetres from preventing one of English football's most legendary goals.

"I speak to Glen Johnson about it - he's a good friend of mine," Bent, who scored 36 goals during his 18-month stint at the Stadium of Light, told the Mirror. "We started at England youth together. We have a laugh and a joke about it.

"Even when...