Samuel Eto'o has explained his rather odd goal celebration after his dramatic opener which put Barcelona on their way to UEFA Champions League glory in Rome against Manchester United last season.

The 28-year-old Inter Milan hitman got Barca's first after barely ten minutes of the final in May, and proceeded to slap his outstretched forearm over and over again before bending over and putting his head in his hands.

And the Cameroon captain has now revealed that the emotive celebration was inspired by a text message that he received from his father on the morning of the final, which Barcelona went on to win 2-0.

"On the morning of the final, my father sent me a message and it took me 6 minutes to read it," he is quoted as saying by tribalfootball.

"He summed up his life to me, everything they had fought for ... when I read it I felt like fighting the world and the world for me was Manchester United.

"When I scored I touched my arm to say that his blood was my blood."

And you can watch Eto'o's intense celebration here, apologies for Clive Tyldesley's typically crass commentary.