In what was by a considerable margin our favourite moment of last year, RTÉ's co-commentator Jim Beglin labelled Belgium and Roma midfielder Radja Nainggolan 'Ferret Head'.
Beglin furthered his thesis to George Hamilton, suggesting: "[He] very much looks like a ferret, doesn't he?"
The physical resemblance between Nainggolan and the domesticated European polecat is of course uncanny, but Roma's 28-year-old midfield maestro is perhaps better known for being a top echelon box-to-box midfielder - effective both with and without the ball in equal measure.
Roma fan Twitter account 'De Rossi's Tattoo' - whose name and profile picture celebrate the iconic slide-tackle 'caution sign' which occupies Daniele De Rossi's right calf - recently compiled a clip which shows just how prolific De Rossi's midfield partner-in-crime is when he leaves his feet to retrieve the ball.
Nainggolan has, in recent years, perfected the 'sweep tackle', whereby he hooks his legs around ball and man from behind, sweeping the ball from beneath the feet of his opponent while they continue to bomb forward - usually flying over his legs.
As DeRossi's Tattoo suggests, football has had the Cruyff Turn, Ronaldinho's 'Elastico', 'The Rivelino', and now it has 'The Nainggolan tackle'. When you check out the clip below, you'll see what they mean:
There is Cruyff Turn, Ronaldinho Elastico, The Rivelino..etc
and then there is The Nainggolan tackle. pic.twitter.com/bNzEuQvh5i— DeRossi's Tattoo (@RomaThings) January 20, 2017
There's a reason why his sliding tackle and aggression are both rated 87 in FIFA 17, and on a more serious note, why Chelsea approached Roma to sign the fiery Belgian prior to their move for N'Golo Kante last summer. Their third and final bid - believed to be €40m - was rejected by Roma, and Nainggolan doesn't have a release clause in his contract. Soon afterwards, he signed a deal to remain at Roma until 2020.
