Almost 15 years since Matty Burrows scored the goal which would change his life - becoming an overnight viral sensation following a spectacular backheel volley for Glentoran - he still holds the same sharpshooting obsession.

It was on the evening of October 5, 2010 when Burrows netted what he originally thought was just a crucial winner against Portadown to help put the Glens top of the Premiership table. He could never have predicted what was about to follow.

The stunning finish was broadcast on programmes around the world, racking up millions of views on YouTube to see him nominated for the prestigious Puskas Award alongside Lionel Messi and Neymar.

Since then, Burrows has spent time on the books of Glenavon, Ards, H&W Welders, Dundela, Bangor and Lisburn Rangers before retiring in January 2020, sick of playing through an injury which resulted in him losing love for the sport.

placeholder image — Matty Burrows was nominated for the Puskas Award following his goal for Glentoran against Portadown. (Photo by William Cherry/Presseye)

However, fast forward over five years later and Burrows has now been talked out of retirement by Amateur League outfit Tullycarnet.

The 39-year-old has wasted no time in showing class is permanent, netting a hat-trick in Saturday's 7-0 league win over Grove United and goals remain very much top of his priority list.

"I didn't think I'd ever come back and play, but one of my mates was at me and the club were keen to get me down and kept at me,” he said. “In my head, I didn't think I wanted to, but then I just went 'why not?' and gave it a go. I've been enjoying it since coming back.

"I have had offers from teams to come back but I've always said no or else said yes and then changed my mind. To be honest, I didn't have any interest in coming back until now.

"It just felt like something changed and I wanted to come back and see where I was at. I didn't miss it over the years I've been away, but I'm enjoying it again.

"I was always obsessed with scoring goals so even now any time I'm playing I want to be scoring goals - it's just in me and it's the way I've always been. It's all about scoring goals."

Even all these years later, people are still keen to talk with Burrows about THAT goal and his experience, be it flying business class to Zurich or rubbing shoulders with Messi, who won his second Ballon d’Or crown ahead of Andres Iniesta and Xavi.

Burrows helped put the Irish League on the map amongst the world’s best with players from Barcelona, Arsenal, Bayern Munich – and Glentoran – nominated for an award ultimately won by a thunderbolt from Turkey’s Hamit Altintop.

It was an intense period for Burrows, who was about to turn 25, with a plethora of daily interview requests to deal with while watching numbers tick by on YouTube videos – the clip on Glentoran’s channel sits at 5.4million views.

"People still talk to me about it and ask questions about it,” added Burrows. “It doesn't really go away.

"Scoring the goal that night put us top of the league, it was just instinct and improvised. I didn't realise how big it was going to be - at the time it was just a 90th-minute winner.

"It was crazy after that, doing interviews every day and the goal was getting millions of views on YouTube. It was constant for a good few months up until the Ballon d'Or.

"It was (overwhelming). There were rumours I was going to be nominated and then I got a phone call from the secretary of Glentoran.

"They said that FIFA had sent an email saying I'd been nominated for the Puskas Award and they were going to fly me business class to Zurich and stay in the five-star Park Hyatt hotel, so I was just buzzing.

"I didn't care if I won, it was more getting to experience that and being around the best players in the world. It was a good experience and great to look back on.”

Alongside the experience of a lifetime in Switzerland, Burrows also carries special memories made throughout his career, from early days spent at Dundela to helping Glentoran seal what remains their last Premiership title triumph in 2009.

He’s still following along with the fortunes of his former clubs and reflects fondly on time spent in the Irish League.

"I loved playing for Glentoran,” he said. “The last time Glentoran won the league I scored the winner and we won the League Cup beating Coleraine...I scored the winning penalty in that too.

"We won the Co Antrim Shield. I won different things with other teams like Loughgall and Dundela.

"I still follow a few of my old teams...I have lots of good things to look back on.”