Ballard channelled Drogba to secure Sunderland glory
Dan Ballard says he visualised Didier Drogba's iconic Champions League final goal just seconds before steering in a replica to take Sunderland to Wembley.The 25-year-old former Arsenal youngster headed in a corner at the near post to overcome Coventry in the final seconds of extra time in the Championship play-off semi-final at the Stadium of Light on Tuesday.It came 13 years to the week after Drogba produced a similar finish from a corner to snatch an 89th-minute draw for Chelsea in the Champions League final against Bayern Munich, and Ballard said he had visualised it before Enzo Le Fee swung in the set-piece which he stooped to head home in unorthodox fashion in mid-air.He told BBC Radio 5 Live: "I didn't know how many minutes had been put up, I was focused on the game, I knew it would be one of the last opportunities."I pictured, I don't know why, Didier Drogba's goal in the Champions League final. I thought 'I'm going to hang around at the near post and try to get half a yard and flick it into the top corner'."It was a great ball from Enzo and that's what happened. It all worked out perfectly."Ballard admitted Drogba's header, which paved the way for the Blues to win the match on penalties, was his favourite goal growing up, adding: "The corners before hadn't worked out so well and I wasn't getting my timing quite right - I had that picture in my head."Ballard said the celebrations after his winner at the Stadium of Light were "just an outpouring of emotion"."The noise in the stadium, the reaction of the fans, players and staff - I think everyone lost control a little bit," he said."It was really emotional, honestly just pure joy and I think every fan in the stadium felt that as well and the noise in there was just incredible."When the ball came off the back of my head, I just had a feeling it was going in, even though it as strange technique I just had a feeling and when it hit the back of the net I lost all control and I think everyone else did as well."Ballard said he had been taken aback by the response to his goal on Wearside, admitting: "I have had thousands of messages saying it was the greatest night of their life and their greatest football moment. I probably didn't realise the significance of it at the time. A few days go by and I realise the impact it had on the city."Ballard helped Blackpool earn promotion from League One at Wembley in 2021 while on loan from Arsenal and said the experience will help when the Black Cats take on Sheffield United on 24 May.He said: "Four or five were here with Sunderland when they went up from League One in 2022. Even winning the EFL Trophy in 2021 is all experience of playing at Wembley. It was daunting where I first played there. A bit of experience in the dressing room will help massively."Ballard said Sunderland will "take a lot of confidence" from both of their league games against the Blades into the final."Even though we had a 1-0 defeat away from home I thought we played really well," he said. "I wasn't involved at the Stadium of Light but the lads were terrific. They were tough games but we can take a lot of confidence from them."
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