Bolo Zenden: ‘I was on the bench for infamous Sunderland v Liverpool beach ball game… would VAR allow that goal to stand today?’

• “I was on the bench for Sunderland in that famous ‘beach ball’ game. Obviously, the weirdest thing was for Darren Bent and Pepe Reina, who were the two main players involved in the incident. To be honest, I do wonder whether, nowadays, with VAR, would the goal have stood? I don’t actually know…“
• “I remember Asamoah Gyan really well; he was a great character, really fun to be around. He was known a lot for is dancing, but also for his rapping. The one moment which I’m often reminded about is that dance I did with him after he scored at Stamford Bridge – I think it was in a 3-0 win…“
• “I guess I just wanted to have some fun – but I joined in with him for a few seconds, and now it’s been viewed over half a million times on the internet. I suppose the figures on YouTube suggest it’s funny, so I did what I set out to do!“
• “There’s also something about me and players who are also rappers! The funny thing is, I’m actually really good friends with Mario Melchiot, my former teammate who I spent a lot of time with at Chelsea. I think that when Mario was at Ajax, he had this one song which he performed with a couple of his teammates. His group name was something like BMD, after Benni McCarthy, Dean Gorre and Mario. They had this one song, which was an existing song which they flipped into a rap, and that was pretty much it. Whereas Asamoah Gyan had recorded so many raps in Ghana…“

Would Darren Bent’s fluke goal have stood with VAR in operation?

I was on the bench for Sunderland in that famous ‘beach ball’ game. Obviously, the weirdest thing was for Darren Bent and Pepe Reina, who were the two main players involved in the incident. To be honest, I do wonder whether, nowadays, with VAR, would the goal have stood? I don’t actually know…  obviously the strike from Darren took a huge deflection which has completely wrong-footed the goalkeeper. It was a freak moment, but we were thankful it stood!  

It was a really strange moment for us, and it’s something which people still talk about to this day. It’s there, it happened, and I’m sure it’ll always be talked about. 

I have a habit of going viral for my celebrations and playing with rappers!

For me, at Sunderland, first and foremost I was pleased and delighted to be back playing in the Premier League at such a massive club, with great history and an incredible group of supporters. I remember Asamoah Gyan really well; he was a great character, really fun to be around. He was known a lot for is dancing, but also for his rapping. He was a rapper back in Ghana, but he was also a great striker who scored some incredible goals. He was so unpredictable. The one moment which I’m often reminded about is that dance I did with him after he scored at Stamford Bridge – I think it was in a 3-0 win…  

Now, that win came at a time where not many teams even drew at that Stadium, but we went and won 3-0. Gyan was known for those special celebrations, And I don’t know why – I guess I just wanted to have some fun – but I joined in with him for a few seconds, and now it’s been viewed over half a million times on the internet. I suppose the figures on YouTube suggest it’s funny, so I did what I set out to do!

There’s something about me and celebrations… I scored in the 1998 World Cup, it was in the third-place play-off against Croatia, and my celebration was probably more popular than the goal itself!

And then I scored for Marseille, at Parc des Princes, against PSG. Again, another really nice goal, but that celebration also took over the internet! It’s something that was just part of me as a player, I guess!

There’s also something about me and players who are also rappers! The funny thing is, I’m actually really good friends with Mario Melchiot, my former teammate who I spent a lot of time with at Chelsea. We’re still in touch from time to time today, and I know he does a bit of punditry from the US. 

I think that when Mario was at Ajax, he had this one song which he performed with a couple of his teammates. His group name was something like BMD, after Benni McCarthy, Dean Gorre and Mario. They had this one song, which was an existing song which they flipped into a rap, and that was pretty much it. Whereas Asamoah Gyan had recorded so many raps in Ghana… 

 §I know Mario has spoken about his rap, and how Ajax were playing badly at the time so his manager told him he had to stop performing it. It’s so funny, when things are going well, you’re allowed to do these things, and then when they’re not going so well, you have to stop. I’ve experienced it before, where some of the team would play card games on the bus to and from games… all of a sudden, the team goes on a bad run, and we’re told we’re not allowed to play cards on the bus anymore, as if that was the reason, or as if it was going to make any difference.