Robert Earnshaw’s been at this soccer thing for a minute. As of today, that’s all over. Earnshaw is retiring.

The Welshman began his career with a six-year stint with Cardiff, but when he left he turned into the definition of a journeyman. There were a staggering 11 clubs in 10 years, including six in the UK, one in Israel for 10 games (!), and three in MLS. He spent the final year of his career with the Whitecaps, and he’ll now be helping with the academy and the strikers.

Earnshaw’s always been a serviceable forward for the right price, but he managed just 18 total goals in the last five years of his career. And, importantly, he produced the single greatest free kick of all time.

Ah yes. That is indeed the stuff.

For some backstory, Vancouver was in Seattle last September for what essentially amounted to a play-in game for the CONCACAF Champions League knockout round. The Whitecaps were summarily stomped 3-0, and as the game wound to its inevitable conclusion, Earnshaw stepped over a free kick from roughly 30 yards out.

And he had a seizure in the middle of it.

Earnshaw was a fine player in his day, and he became the only player to have scored a hat trick in the EPL, all three divisions of the English Football League, the League Cup, the FA Cup, and for his country in an international match. But let’s never forget the moment he passed into legend by visiting the Undying Lands and put this free kick into orbit. I certainly never will.