Youthful football phenom Harvey Elliott recently orchestrated a triumphant game-winning goal for his acclaimed English Premiere League club Liverpool against the skilled but overmatched Crystal Palace squad.
After skillfully maneuvering the ball past Palace’s stalwart defenders and striking it decisively into the back of the net, a jubilant Elliott commemorated the critical goal by gleefully acting out the signature mystical technique of the beloved iconic anime protagonist Son Goku from the classic Japanese cartoon series Dragon Ball.
Mimicking Goku’s characteristic ritual pose, Elliott theatrically thrust his clasped hands outward while loudly vocalizing the iconic incantation “Kamehameha!”
He was thereby humorously reenacting Goku’s signature energy attack, which involves focusing one’s inner power into a glowing orb between cupped hands and then discharging it as a potent beam.
Harvey Elliott with the Dragon Ball celebration!🥶🐉 pic.twitter.com/0wZqCDYyqn
— LFC Transfer Room (@LFCTransferRoom) December 9, 2023
The lighthearted stunt clearly delighted the fervent Liverpool fans crowded behind Elliott’s goal, who erupted into rapturous cheers and applause at his clever homage.
With Elliott’s dramatic late-game score sealing an electrifying comeback victory for Liverpool, it was a truly storybook ending befitting of Elliott’s playfully cinematic celebration.
Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott Strikes Kamehameha Celebration Post-Goal!
20-year old Liverpool footballer Harvey Elliott, who has grappled for playing time amidst a star-studded squad this campaign, dramatically vaulted into the spotlight during a hotly-contested showdown with opponents Crystal Palace.
With the nail-biting match knotted at 1-1 in extra time, Elliott was substituted into the fray. Defying immense pressure, the youthful talent almost instantly engineered a masterful goal to thrust Liverpool ahead 2-1.
His magnificent late strike proved decisive, sealing victory for Liverpool in storybook fashion.
In the delirious aftermath, a jubilant Elliott commemorated the unforgettable moment by gleefully mimicking anime icon Son Goku’s signature “Kamehameha” skill – much to the internet’s astonishment.
Elliott’s theatrical reenactment of Goku gathering ki energy and firing it as a powerful beam has since gone viral online.
While some fans critique Elliott’s flamboyant goal celebration as overly flashy, others extol it as a fitting tribute considering the sensational circumstances.
Either way, thanks to his clutch performance and colorful homage, this unlikely hero found himself the talk of the football world.
Harvey Elliott’s Dragon Ball Salute Joins a Growing Trend of Anime Fandom Among Professional Athletes
While Harvey Elliott’s flamboyant Dragon Ball tribute has ignited conversation, the interplay between professional athletes and anime is far from unprecedented.
American football players in particular have openly embraced their fandom in recent years. For instance, the LA Chargers have released stylized anime promotional videos ahead of the past two NFL seasons to drum up hype.
Similarly, other top talents like New Orleans Saints’ charismatic rusher Jamaal Williams and former Steelers wide receiver Juju Smith-Schuster frequently reference their favorite anime series across social channels and appearances.
The enthusiastic Williams even coined his own alter ego as the “1st Swagg Kazekaze” – blending his nickname with the Japanese term for wind master.
As for Smith-Schuster, he recently announced a collaboration with NFT brand ON1 Force inspired by beloved manga and anime tropes “overcoming obstacles” and “making the impossible possible.”
So while novel in the Premier League, Elliott joins an expanding movement of sports stars finding inspiration in epic anime storytelling and making their fandom proudly part of their public persona.
More NBA, NFL, and MLS athletes will likely soon mime Kamehameha blasts and Bankai releases as anime permeates locker room culture.
The Shared Essence of Athleticism and Anime Aspirations in Elite Sports
At first glance, the burgeoning obsession of elite athletes with anime may seem an unlikely crossover between two radically distinct spheres.
Yet upon deeper reflection, the parallel passions make inherent sense. So many iconic anime franchises – from battle-laden shonen epics like Naruto, Dragon Ball, and Demon Slayer to emotional sports dramas like Haikyuu – extoll the core athletic virtues of relentless training, continuously pushing physical boundaries, and refusing to ever acquiesce, no matter the odds.
Let’s get it!! The KazeKage ready for it all and ready to begin the journey with my new bruthuhhs ✊🏾 @saints @nfl pic.twitter.com/NpFEIORxp0
— Jamaal Williams (@jswaggdaddy) March 16, 2023
Those very same principles that drive icons like Goku and Midoriya Izuku to ascend to higher planes mirror those that propel the journeys of professional athletes.
Much like his animated heroes, Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott has tirelessly honed his technical skills and match fitness this season while awaiting his chance to shine.
His jubilant Dragon Ball tribute after a season-defining goal illuminated Elliott’s interior motivation – he had finally unlocked more of his potential, just as the anime protagonists he respects.
As Elliott’s theatrical celebration demonstrated, athletes and anime share a foundational DNA of persistence, growth, and seizing moments.
So while still an unconventional cultural fusion, one can find profound connections between the fantastical quests of Son Goku and the real-world ascent of Harvey Elliott.
