UEFA Cup, 40 years on | Paul Miller on his huge goal in the first leg

He calls it the 'forgotten goal' of our UEFA Cup triumph in 1984, but the importance of that goal can never be underestimated.

It's 40 years since Paul 'Maxi' Miller headed home in the first leg of the final against Anderlecht in Brussels. As we all know now, without that goal, we would have lost the final 2-1 on aggregate - no penalty drama, no Tony Parks' heroics and Maxi's partner Graham Roberts wouldn't have lifted that huge trophy in front of our fans at White Hart Lane.

"It doesn't feel like 40 years, no way," Maxi told us today. "For a start, I'm here at Pat Jennings' Golf Day with Robbo, Micky Hazard, Mark Falco, and I don't think we look a lot different! We've still got the same sense of humour and we're still all together, always at the club, playing golf and we see each other all the time. It's fantastic, what we've got. These are my best friends, for life."

Like most of Keith Burkinshaw's settled squad in the early 1980s, Paul knew what playing in finals was all about. He started all four - the FA Cup Finals of 1981 and 1982, both won, the 1982 League Cup (late loss against Liverpool) and the UEFA Cup. Four finals actually read seven, with both FA Cups going to replays and the UEFA Cup over two legs.

“We’d won trophies, we’d come close to winning the league, but we felt a European trophy was long overdue,” he said. “We really wanted to win the trophy. The UEFA Cup in those days was the toughest trophy to win, but we were confident ahead of the first leg because, even though we were without Ossie (Ardiles) and Glenn (Hoddle, both injured) we were playing well and we felt we had goals in us.

“Looking back on it, I think the only surprise for all of us in that game was that we didn’t score more. Archie (Steve Archibald) and Mark Falco missed a few chances, which was unlike the pair of them because they were both prolific, and although we came away with a 1-1 draw, we felt very disappointed that we hadn’t put the tie to bed. We thought we should have won by at least two or three. The tie really should have been over.”

As things transpired, it was Maxi’s second half header from Micky Hazard’s corner that put us in front on 58 minutes, only for Morten Olsen to restore parity five minutes from time.

Recalling the moment he hit the target, Paul continued: “Mine's often the forgotten goal. That night... I'd been out with a knee injury, hadn't scored, I remember Barry Davies (famous former football commentator) interviewed me the day of the game, mentioned that I hadn't scored... that's how football works.

“For the goal, Micky swung a corner over and I managed to get my head to it. I knew it was coming towards me and obviously I was running to meet it. I fancied I’d get a good head on it and once it hit my head it flew into the top corner. I watched it go in sideways - it was one of my better headers!

"I scored at the same end all our fans were behind, there were 10,000 behind that goal - and I think I've met every one of them! They all say to me, 'Maxi, I was behind the goal when you scored against Anderlecht'.

“It was a nice moment and a good feeling but, as I said, coming back on the plane we were a bit disappointed because the scoreline wasn’t more convincing. We should have tied it all up there and then, although it made the second leg all the more exciting!"

Again, as we all know now, the job was done in one of the great, glory, glory nights a fortnight later as Robbo fired home a late leveller after Alexandre Czerniatynski shocked us by opening the scoring on the hour. Robbo's goal came on 84 minutes to take the game into extra time and then the famous shoot-out as Robbo, Mark Falco, Steve Archibald and Gary Stevens all scored, Danny Thomas missed but Parksy saved from Arnor Gudjohnsen to see us home.

“To win it on our on patch was good and very rarely will it happen again that a team wins a European trophy on their own ground,” he added. “It might happen now and again if you get lucky and if your stadium’s the one that’s nominated to host the final, but not very often will the team whose home it is be there.

“We’ve won two UEFA Cups and won them both at White Hart Lane. We’re the only club in the world that’s got that record.”