Michael Olise left fans and players baffled after his strangely muted celebration having scored a stunning late equaliser against Man United.
The Crystal Palace winger rescued a point for his side in their Premier League encounter with the Red Devils after scoring a stoppage time free-kick at Selhurst Park.
Despite the pandemonium in the stands, Olise looked almost unimpressed with his own effort - by performing a subdued celebration - and the reasons behind doing so have now been revealed by former team-mates.
Olise's former Reading team-mate, defender Tom McIntyre, spoke with The Athletic and lifted the lid on the winger subdued scoring reactions.
McIntyre explained as cited by Sports Central: 'We'd say he's a bit weird sometimes because when he scored goals, he sometimes wouldn't celebrate. 'We'd be like, 'Mike, you've just scored an important goal and you're just walking back? What's he doing? How 'Then he'd play two-touch with the manager (Paunovic) in the gym, he'd win a point in that, and he'd be shouting and celebrating, but on a Saturday, he'd score a goal in front of the home end and just stand there. 'We never really worked out why. He could never give us an answer but he's just different; a special player.'
The France U-21 winger notched seven goals in three seasons at the Madejski Stadium before earning an £8.37million move to Palace in the summer of 2021.
McIntyre - who has been at Reading his whole career - went on to suggest that the winger enjoys being 'different and cool'.
The Reading defender said: 'Midway through last season, he unfollowed all of us on Instagram and only followed about 15 people. 'There was no one from Reading except maybe one or two of his closest mates on there, which we all found pretty amusing. 'I know what it is, he loves the rapper Lil Uzi Vert and there's another few of those rappers he likes. They unfollow everyone on their Instagram and I think he wants to be like them. That's strange to me and some of the lads but to him, that's different and cool.'
In November last year, Olise gave a strangely blunt interview after scoring against West Ham.
'Talk us through it,' said a reporter on Palace TV. Olise replied: 'Through what, the goal? I think Wilf passed me the ball, shot, scored.' When asked if Palace deserved the win, he said: 'Yeah'.
On the night, Bruno Fernandes had given the visitors the lead in the first-half with a well-taken strike before Olise struck back late into the match.
His muted celebration left supporters baffled, as one fan said: 'Olise is sick in the head, how do you not celebrate after scoring that'.
'How can Olise not celebrate that goal? I'd have my top off jumping into the crowd if that was me...', another said.
One wrote: 'Great free kick from Olise but I’ve got absolutely no time for anyone scoring a worldie in injury time to equalise and looking pissed off about it. You’re not too cool to celebrate it lad.'
'I genuinely don't think Olise would even celebrate if he scored the winning goal in a World Cup final for France.', another said.
After the match, Red Devils legend Gary Neville tweeted to bemoan his old club's decision only to have three men in the wall when Olise stepped up to take his free-kick in stoppage time.
The late leveller denied Erik ten Hag's side second place in the Premier League table, with the Red Devils left in third place behind local rivals Manchester City on goal difference.
More importantly, United also gave up crucial ground in the title race against Arsenal, who remain eight points clear at the summit of the league.
