5 overrated free-kick takers of the 21st century

#3 Steven Gerrard

Steven Gerrard is Liverpool's greatest captain.

One of the greatest midfielders of his generation, Steven Gerrard is best known for his incredible long-range shooting. Blessed with a hammer of a right foot, the former England and Liverpool captain was lethal from distance. He scored numerous screamers over the course of his decorated career.

Gerrard's remarkable ability to find the target from far out meant he also took a fair share of free-kicks. In the 2010s, fans and pundits would often compare the Liverpool captain with Frank Lampard in terms of effectiveness from dead-ball situations.

However, Gerrard's long-range shooting did not always translate into goals from free-kicks. Despite scoring over 200 goals for Liverpool and England across more than 800 appearances, the midfielder scored only ten direct free-kicks.

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#2 Harry Kane

Harry Kane is a goalscoring machine.

It's baffling that Harry Kane still steps up to the occasional free-kick for club and country. The Tottenham Hotspur superstar and England captain is one of the best strikers in the world, and is renowned for his powerful shooting and lethal finishing.

Kane has immaculate technique and a natural eye for goal. Therefore, his consistent inability to get free-kicks on target has long been a source of puzzlement for the footballing fraternity.

The striker has played just under 500 games for club and country, netting 298 goals. Yet he has scored just one free-kick in his professional career, a late winner against Aston Villa in 2014-15 which came via a deflection off the wall.

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#1 Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo's free-kick ability has suffered a massive fall in recent years.

On paper, Cristiano Ronaldo's free-kick tally is excellent. He has scored 56 of them, including 11 in the Premier League. However, a closer look at the numbers shows that Ronaldo has scored just seven free-kicks since 2017-18 (four in the last four years).

It is difficult to pinpoint the reason behind Ronaldo's inexplicable loss of accuracy from dead-ball situations. Between 2008 and 2013, he regularly scored more than five per season.

A possible explanation is that the Portuguese superstar compromises placement for power. Although his unique run-up and knuckle-ball technique is easy on the eye and impressive when it comes off, it also results in the ball smashing into the wall on most attempts.

As his stunning free-kick for Portugal in the 3-3 draw with Spain at the 2018 FIFA World Cup showed, perhaps Ronaldo would be better off with a shorter run-up and putting more bend on the ball.

In fact, Ronaldo's free-kick taking ability peaked during his first spell with Manchester United. According to Opta, he converted 33 of 444 attempts for Real Madrid. At the end of the 2020-21 season, he had converted just one of 72 attempts for Juventus.

Despite his undeniable talent and impressive numbers, it feels as though Ronaldo continues to be a first-choice free-kick taker for club and country purely because of his reputation.