Dani PK plays for Kerala Football Training Centre (KFTC).

David Beckham has done it. Thierry Henry has done it. Toni Kroos has done it. But it’s not that easy to score a goal directly from a corner kick with the angle at its most acute. However, Kerala’s 10-year-old Dani PK nailed it with a perfect swerve and the dip akin to a professional footballer and shot to fame on Tuesday.

Brought to the internet’s attention by former Indian captain, Inivalappil Mani Vijayan aka IM Vijayan’s tweet, the sensational goal has apparently earned Dani the nickname of ‘Lionel’ according to The Week.

Dani studies in the fifth standard of Presentation School in Kerala’s Kozhikode district and plays for Kerala Football Training Centre (KFTC) club. On February 9, the day he scored from the corner kick, the 10-year-old also scored a hattrick in the final of the All Kerala Kids Football tournament which was held at Meenangadi in the Wayanad district.

He was also adjudged the ‘Player of the Tournament’ for his 13 goals.

Superb ..മോനെ… pic.twitter.com/EEXrlUPOWD

— I M Vijayan (@IMVijayan1) February 11, 2020

“Football is his favourite sport. He loves it so much that no matter how many footballs we buy him, he always asks for another,” said Abu Hashim, Dani’s father to The Week.

“Dani swears by Barcelona. So, no prizes for guessing who his footballing idol is,” he continued saying that his son wants to visit Spain during his vacation next year to meet his idol, Lionel Messi.

Such is his passion for the game that it has landed Dani a role in a Malayalam film Aanaparambile World Cup, which is supposed to be released in May. The film also has Vijayan and another former India international Jo Paul Ancheri playing themselves.