It wasn’t Egy Maulana Vikri, the Lechia Gdansk forward who had already accumulated multiple senior international caps and more than a million followers online.

It wasn’t Rafli Mursalim, the promising striker who had bagged nine goals in standout displays at the past two AFF Youth tournaments.

La Liga, the top division of Spanish football, holds a place in the consciousness of fans throughout the globe, and it is also a nation which has played host to some standout players from the world’s largest continent.

In increasing numbers, Asian players are flocking to Spain, with some of the continent’s brightest prospects now making it their first port of call in European football.

With La Liga resuming this week, we invite you to decide which Asian player has made the biggest impact in Spanish football.

Here are our nominees:

Japan, ranked 28th, is followed by Islamic Republic of Iran in 33rd place, with Korea Republic in 40th.

Australia is ranked 42nd, with 2022 FIFA World Cup hosts, Qatar, in 55th to complete Asia's top five teams.

Click here to view the latest fixtures, results and standings from across the Continent.

We kicked off the series with a look back at some fabulous free-kicks, before shining the spotlight on memorable long-range efforts. This week, we turn our attention to individual brilliance and review five incredible goals where players have taken matters into their own hands and emphatically produced the goods.

So, enjoy the trip down memory lane and don't forget to vote for your favourite at the bottom of the article!

To select the candidates for each position, we have reflected on match data from FIFA World Cups dating all the way back to 1966 and presented a statistics-based approach to highlight the players who have shone brightest on the biggest stage of all.

We start our series of articles with the three candidates in contention for the all-important number one jersey. With a combined 11 FIFA World Cup editions between them, the trio boast a wealth of experience at the global showpiece. So, review the nominees and then choose your favourite goalkeeper to helm the rearguard for this all-star XI in the poll below.

To select the candidates for each position, we have reflected on match data from the tournament to draw up a statistics-based approach to present the outstanding performers.

We begin with five candidates for the all-important number one shirt. Review the nominees and then choose your favourite goalkeeper to helm the rearguard for this all-star XI in the poll below.