It is the sign of a great striker. The opposition defence know what's coming -- they've seen it so many times before -- but there's nothing they can do about it. The goal is scored in a flourishing, familiar way; the calling card of a true finisher.

Many of the greats had a trademark goal but whose was the best?

(With thanks to Andy McGeady and all who responded on Twitter)

The Thierry Henry curl into the corner

In the era that led to the Invincibles, this was the sight of inevitability. Opposition would be attacking Arsenal, only for Arsene Wenger's side to counter with devastating speed, leaving Henry cutting in from the left. Using his right foot, he would then draw the goalkeeper before putting a slight lift and curl on the ball as it was almost passed into the corner of the net.

The Alan Shearer top corner at top speed

It is often said that the key to finishing is precision rather than power but it helps if you can combine both, as Shearer so often did. Throughout his career, the Premier League record goal scorer took the goalkeeper out of the equation by simply driving the ball into the top corner.

The Gabriel Batistuta smash

Batistuta had such power that it didn't really matter where the ball went or the distance he hit it from. So long as it was on target, it was going in. The ball was often too fast for goalkeepers to react, as he would smash it high into the net with the straightness of an arrow.

The Romario toe poke

There are few forwards who move with the fluidity and smoothness of Romario at his peak, but what really stood out about the Brazilian's strike rate -- and stood so many goalkeepers down -- was his extraordinary capacity to abruptly finish those velvet runs with the bluntness of a toe poke.

The Ronaldo round-the-goalkeeper

The Brazilian Ronaldo was a player so technically gifted that he could score almost any type of goal, but there was no greater indication of that talent than the fact that he rarely needed to use it to score. At his peak, he used his blinding speed to go around goalkeepers with blink-and-you-miss-it step-overs. He made the extraordinary look routine.

The Leo Messi dink

Messi could arguably be on this list twice (maybe even three times) for the way he is able to swiftly sidestep defenders in the box and cleanly drive the ball home from close range, but it's the dink that he has owned more than any. He so frequently chips the keeper -- often from distances that just shouldn't allow it. He is so good that goalkeepers have to cover as many angles as possible, which leaves him to do what he loves and simply go over them.

The David Villa slip through the legs

There is a strong argument that when Spain were dominating international football through possession, the most important player was the one least likely to pass the ball. They ruled through their short, quick passing that cut opponents like a thousand paper cuts but relied on one man to finish dazzling moves. Villa provided the necessary end product, but what elevated him was how his particular type of cheeky finish was such a natural extension of his team's approach play.

The Arjen Robben cut inside

Robben is not as one-footed as is often made out but it's an understandable perception, given his propensity to score a particular type of goal: Race down the right, cut inside and curl the ball around the goalkeeper with his left foot. He has done it time and again, yet few defenders can stop him, which is a true sign brilliance.

The Ole Gunnar Solskjaer disguise

This is a trademark strike with an extra layer of planning and deception. Solskjaer has explained that, when in the box, he always tried to shoot through a defender's legs so the goalkeeper couldn't properly see the ball.

The Ian Rush slide into the corner

While football in 2016 is about the buildup, Liverpool's prolific scorer of the 1980s and 1990s was known for his willingness to hit the ball early and catch the goalkeeper out before he could set himself. It sounds simple enough, but what was so impressive about Rush's finishing was how often he sweetly slid the ball just inside the post. It was the type of clean and pristine strike that would catch out even a prepared keeper.

Miguel Delaney covers the Premier League and Champions League for ESPN FC. Twitter: @MiguelDelaney.