Back in the day, commentators used to speak of "Beckham territory" when a free-kick was ceded within 30 yards of the goal, such was anticipation that the former England captain was going to whip one into the top corner.
Southampton's James Ward-Prowse is probably as close as there is to a free-kick specialist now, adding another stunner to his highlight reel against Wolves at the weekend.
Data may disprove this notion, but it feels like dead-ball masters are rarer beings these days, however, Bristol Rovers star Antony Evans is certainly building a reputation for conjuring magic with his right boot from set-plays.
Earlier in the season, it was the scouser's delivery for his teammates that caught the eye, but in two successive league games, he has dispatched free-kicks into the top corner.
First, he bent one over the wall to start the scoring against Rochdale in December and, on the other side of Rovers' COVID-19-enforced hiatus, he thumped one in off the underside of the bar – which makes the optics of any goal infinitely better – to wrap up a hard-fought victory over Hartlepool United on Saturday.
Minutes after his stoppage-time stunner hit the back of the net, Aaron Collins was joking with reporters that he should focus on winning fouls around the box, such is Evans' lethal accuracy from dead balls.
Should Evans add to his collection a couple more times this season, he will doubtless enter the conversation alongside some of Rovers best free-kick takers.
The contenders for that crown? Well, ask Gasheads of a certain vintage and many will come back with Mark Walters as their answer.
Walters, a one-cap England international, joined the Gas at the end of a fine playing career that took in spells with Aston Villa, Rangers and Liverpool.
Even arriving as a 35-year-old, it was clear he had lost none of the craft in his right foot and announced himself as a Rovers player with a fine free-kick on his debut against Luton Town in November 1999.
An even better strike followed in April 2000, lashing into the top corner from 30 yards in a thrilling 3-3 draw with Stoke City at the Mem.
Wayne Carlisle was another free-kick expert donning the blue and white quarters in the early 2000s and he had a knack of producing moments of rare quality in crucial moments.
An 88th-minute winner from 25 yards in front of the South Stand against Scunthorpe United in 2003 completely bamboozled the keeper.
Later that season, in the heat of Rovers' relegation battle, he produced another brilliant free-kick at the same end of the Mem to defeat Darlington and secure Rovers' safety from the drop.
Few Gas players have scored free-kicks with such regularity since, but captain of the 2007 promotion-winning side Stuart Campbell gets an honourable mention for a last-gasp beauty to defeat Peterborough in February of that season.
Lee Mansell, Liam Lawrence and Luke McCormick have all struck superb free-kicks in recent times, but Evans – in addition to his high-quality all-round game – is one of few to repeat the trick and he is amassing quite the collection of goals in the blue and white quarters.
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