England Legend Celebrates Rene Higuita’s Unforgettable Moment of Brilliance on the Field
TODAY marks the 30th anniversary of Rene Higuita’s remarkable ‘Scorpion Kick’ at Wembley, during an otherwise uneventful friendly match that ended in a goalless draw between England and Colombia.
DAVID SEAMAN, 61, who earned 75 caps for England from 1988 to 2002, was stationed at the opposite end of the pitch that day and shares his personal memories…
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WHILE warming up before the match, I watched Rene Higuita executing that scorpion kick multiple times, thinking there was no way he would attempt it during the game.
Then, just 22 minutes in, Jamie Redknapp took a shot on goal, and suddenly, Rene sprang into action, perfectly executing the impressive kick—arms extended like a scorpion, clearing the shot with his legs behind him.
I’m convinced he practiced this as a planned move, but even after three decades, it remains one of the most astonishing moments I’ve encountered in my career as both a player and a fan.
Now that it’s been thirty years, there’s a new generation of football supporters who may not recall it.
I revisited it on YouTube, and it still looks as remarkable to me as it did when I witnessed it live in the opposing penalty area back in 1995.
It’s a piece of football history that will never fade away.
People have asked if I would dare to try it—absolutely not!
This was Rene Higuita’s mastery; it’s a memorable instance of football eccentricity that I’ll always hold dear.
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Over the years, I’ve seen several incredible moments of goalkeeping, like Jimmy Glass scoring in the final minute of Carlisle’s last match against Plymouth in 1999 to keep them in the Football League.
But Higuita’s brilliance at Wembley will forever be etched in folklore.
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Of course, it could have gone horrifically wrong, but he was the kind of keeper unafraid to take risks.
I remember him getting caught trying to dribble past Cameroon’s Roger Milla at the 1990 World Cup in Italy and conceding a terrible goal.
But that was who he was.
I recall shaking hands with him at the end of the match at Wembley, but Rene’s English wasn’t great, so our communication was limited.
I later met him at a FIFA awards event, and I greatly admire and respect him for his contributions to the game as a former keeper.
People have asked if I would attempt it—absolutely not!
DAVID SEAMAN ON TRYING A SCORPION KICK
I looked up his statistics and found out he scored FORTY-TWO goals in his career—many from penalties, to be fair.
That’s a record several Premier League strikers would be proud of!
From our perspective, even though it was just a friendly, Terry Venables had been appointed the previous year and was evaluating players ahead of Euro 96, which was less than a year away.
So we were all focused on preparing for the tournament and hoping to be included in Terry’s squad before Rene dazzled us with this extraordinary display of skill.
DAVID SEAMAN is a proud ambassador for Fishing Republic at GO Outdoors. For more information about the enduring partnership, visit the GO Outdoors website and follow updates on Instagram. David is also the president of the Willow Foundation at willowfoundation.org.
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How The Sun covered Higuita’s magic 30 years ago (above)
Former Colombian keeper Rene Higuita reflects fondly on the scorpion kick he executed 30 years ago.
He remarked, “I accomplished significant feats in football, and that moment holds a unique place, especially being at the iconic Wembley.”
He revealed that the primary reason he dared to attempt such a bold move was due to a rule change by FIFA in 1992, which he believes was introduced to support his unconventional playing style.
“What mattered more than the Scorpion was the rule change by FIFA, prohibiting a keeper from handling a back pass. That came about through me.
“I believe I provided more freedom to goalkeepers, leading to less time spent with the ball and curbing time-wasting.”
“They were no longer viewed solely as hand users; they could use their feet too.”
However, Higuita did not concentrate on strategy or tactics—he embraced pure, unrestrained joy, encouraging others who wore gloves to play with freedom and happiness.
Yet, it’s unlikely anyone will ever replicate his distinctive approach.
And his goal-scoring record isn’t too shabby either.
During his career with Colombian clubs Atlético Nacional, Independiente Medellín, Real Cartagena, Bajo Cauca, and Deportivo Rionegro, as well as the Mexican team Veracruz and the Colombian national team, Higuita scored 35 penalties, 6 free-kicks, and one from his own penalty area.
He’s currently fifth among all-time goal-scoring goalkeepers—four players above him are also from South America.
Rene noted, “Some thought it was crazy, but for me, it was about optimizing the conditions in which I excelled.”
Post-match interviews revealed Higuita stated he had seen an offside flag and opted to perform the scorpion kick knowing the goal wouldn’t count.