JERMAIN Defoe relived his stunning strike for Cherries against Crystal Palace and said: “This is the Marco van Basten.”

Frontman van Basten’s goal came against the Soviet Union at Euro 88, with Defoe admitting his effort for Eddie Howe’s men in December 2017 was in the shadows of the former Ajax star.

Defoe latched on to a searching pass from Lewis Cook at Selhurst Park before angling an incredible half-volley over Julian Speroni in the home goal into the far corner.

He struck a double in the 2-2 draw against the Eagles, the memorable second earning him the Premier League’s goal of the month award.

Reliving some of his best goals with The Athletic, the 37-year-old said: “This is the Marco van Basten.

“I side-footed that in the middle of the ball so it would go up and down. If I tried to hit under it to lob him (Speroni), I guarantee it goes over the bar.

“As I moved forward, I’m thinking about my body shape; how can I turn my body so I can get the right contact on it?

“As soon as it bounced, I knew where the goalkeeper was. I thought, ‘all I need to do is concentrate on getting it back across to the far post as he can’t do anything’.”

Former England star Defoe would go on to score four times that season, having joined Cherries from Sunderland in June 2017.

The former Tottenham and Portsmouth star agreed an 18-month loan deal with Rangers from Cherries in January 2019.

He has since signed a pre-contract agreement to join the Scottish giants permanently this summer.