Santiago Muñez holds the unique honour of being a Newcastle United cult hero, despite never having played a competitive game for the club. That’s because he’s fictional. He’s a character, the protagonist of an underdog story dreamed up by Hollywood film-makers. Two decades later, his name remains synonymous with one word: Goal!
Written by Adrian Butchart and Mike Jefferies, plus renowned duo Ian La Frenais and Dick Clement, the brains behind cult sitcoms The Likely Lads, Porridge and Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, the 2005 movie told the tale of a young Mexican, whose childhood entry into the United States under the cover of darkness preceded an unimaginable rise from recreational footballer to Premier League star.
