In an age in which everything is seen, everything is analysed and nothing is left to the imagination there is something romantic about memories that are yours and yours alone. So it was understandable why, in 2009, Jan Molby was somewhat torn about releasing footage of a goal – his best-ever goal – scored on 26 November 1985 in Liverpool’s 2-1 victory over Manchester United in the fourth round of the Milk Cup. Because for the 41,291 fans who witnessed it at Anfield that night each had their own view of the strike, their own memory to cherish and their own story to tell afterwards. Nobody saw it in the same way. Descriptions of his run and strike varied dramatically in the 24 years from when he scored it to the day it was made public, giving it mythological status.

“I know there are an awful lot of people who were at the match who have said: ‘Jan, you could do us a favour and not release that goal because we have our own memories and we’re quite happy with those.’ But of course for all those that were there, there are probably 100,000 more who have never seen the goal.”

The reason for the mystery surrounding it was that the first half of the 1985-86 season was not televised due to a TV rights dispute. There was no Match of the Day to relive goals, to see whether a deflection really did happen or if your lumbering centre-back deserved to be sent off. Judgments had to be made on one viewing. Imagine that in this day and age. How would Twitter handle such a thing?

And so it was with Molby’s goal. Fans at the match had something truly special to boast about. Those who were not there wanted to say that they were. They knew they’d missed out. Some described it as the greatest goal ever scored at Anfield. Depending on who you spoke to, they painted a picture of the 22-year-old Dane as a rock-hard powerhouse, crunching Norman Whiteside inside his own half, galloping off like Graeme Souness towards the Manchester United goal and sending a shot arrowing into the top corner from 30 yards. Others created an image of him as an elusive giant, ghosting past Clayton Blackmore, à la Johan Cruyff, before gracefully stroking the ball home. And others still, had him trying his luck from all of 45 yards with a strike of such ferocity that Gary Bailey dived out of its way. And that was the beauty of the goal. No one version of it was the same. It was unique to each and every one who was there and, with each retelling, it seemed to become ever more outlandish.

In fact, such was the growing desire over the years to see it that some fans attempted to recreate it using Pro Evolution Soccer on the Playstation (it’s not a bad mock-up of Jan to be fair).

So how did it eventually come to be seen? Well, Ron Atkinson, the Manchester United manager, had the match filmed from the Main Stand gantry to help with post-match analysis. He was kind enough to give Molby a copy of the tape afterwards so that he could recall it at his leisure at home. It stayed in the Dane’s Merseyside house for quite some time.

As for the goal itself, it seems crass to describe it from the footage when the aim of this piece is to point out that the strike was so special because, until recently, it was seen only by those who were at Anfield. But if you are going to watch it, then now would be an appropriate time to do so.

Jan Molby’s goal for Liverpool against Manchester United.

For those who remember Molby as a gifted passer who was less than mobile in his latter years at Liverpool, it’s a nice reminder not to pigeonhole him. The dynamism he shows in the run was a key part of his game in his early 20s. For any midfielder in England in what was a very physical era, mobility was key. Molby scored 21 goals in the 1985-86 season, his best in a Liverpool shirt.

His runs could be every bit as powerful as his passes were subtle. For anyone needing a reminder of his brilliance at this stage of his career it’s worth reliving his man-of-the-match display in the 1986 FA Cup final, which Liverpool won 3-1 against Everton to seal the Double.

When Xabi Alonso emerged at Liverpool, many older fans drew comparisons with the Dane. It was understandable, given the cerebral way in which they played for the majority of their careers. But until 1987, when Molby suffered a foot injury that hampered his progress at Liverpool and sent him on a downward spiral that led to imprisonment for drink-driving, a better latter-day comparison would be Steven Gerrard. After all, the player whose boots Molby was trying to fill at Anfield when he arrived in the mid-80s was Graeme Souness. He had to have drive – and a decent shot. Molby’s ability to strike a ball was a weapon used to great effect from outside and inside the box. A minute after scoring this goal, he won the game with a spot-kick. Only Gerrard has scored more penalties for Liverpool.

For all his obvious talent, there is a “What if …” element to Molby’s career. Had he played more often – and kept his body and mind in better shape in the late 80s – he could have been up there with Liverpool’s greats.

But he struggled to hold down a place in the team after Ronnie Whelan replaced him because of injury in 1987. In 1990 he almost joined Barcelona, where perhaps his deft passing game would have flourished. A fee of £1.6m was agreed but the move broke down and Molby remained at Anfield. Many fans hoped Dalglish would play him as a sweeper – as he had done at times in the Double-winning season – but it was such an alien thing to do in England when 4-4-2 was the norm for every opposing team, that he had to wait for Liverpool’s decline before he could properly force his way back in. And let’s not forget how good Liverpool were from 1987 to 1989.

So there is something fitting about Molby’s greatest-ever goal having been missed by so many. Because his career was similar – its peak came in a season when so few people were watching. (Scott Murray explains why in this wonderful retelling of the 1985-86 First Division championship).

The story of Molby and Denmark is similarly frustrating and he emerged at a time when Danish football was as good as it would ever be. Perhaps a feeling of never having shown the world what he was truly capable of was what prompted him to make his wonder strike public. Who can blame him? But it’s hard not to think that the goal was just a little more golden before, rather than after, its emergence on YouTube.