WHEN it comes to football, there are enough books of records and statistics to fill Turf Moor.

In the modern age the obsession with all things statistical seems to be growing as we are told how many shots teams have in a game, the number of times they've hit the woodwork in a season and the percentage of play they have from game to game.

But some stats are head and shoulders above the rest and this week Clarets striker Andy Payton learned that he features in one absolute beauty.

The Burnley-born striker, who has netted well over 200 goals in a great career, explained: "I got a phone call from some statistician from somewhere who told me he had found out a remarkable fact about me.

"He says that I not only scored the first Football League goal of the last decade, I got the last as well. The first came in the opening minutes of our match with Sunderland on New Year's Day 1990 when I was playing for Hull City. I can remember that 'Stretch' Armstrong was on the other side.

"The last goal of the decade came on December 28 when I was at Burnley and we played against Oxford United.

"I scored the winner in the 92nd minute, just a little later than a goal scored for York. Both were given as 90 in the papers but apparently mine was later."

In an extra twist, both games saw Payton finish on the winning side with the same 3-2 scoreline.

It is safe to say it is a feat that has never been done before and it must be very long odds against it being done ever again.

So hail Andy Payton, King of the Stats.