Former Premier League star SKIPS the birth of his first child to play a match – despite having permission to be at his partner’s side – and scores the winner!

A former Premier League star missed the birth of his daughter in Spain because he had a vastly more significant life moment to attend to – scoring in an inconsequential league match.

Villarreal forward Alexander Sorloth swerved the birth of baby Emma to go and score a 92th-minute winner against Almeria.

The Norwegian marksman had been given special dispensation by Villarreal to miss the match and treasure a special moment in his shared life with partner Lena Selnes. 

But Sorloth, 28, knew where his priorities lay and scored the winner in a 2-1 victory away from home to help Villarreal retain their ninth-placed berth in LaLiga. 

To mark the extraordinary moment, he produced a baby-cradling celebration and sucked his thumb in tribute to his newborn, who no doubt understood and appreciated him paying homage.  

The Villarreal striker missed the birth of his daughter to score a 92nd-minute winner 

Sorloth used to play for Crystal Palace but only scored one goal in 20 games for them

You can’t question his commitment to the cause. 

He should be familiar to some fans in England as he had a 20-game stint with Crystal Palace between 2018 and 2020, although he only scored one goal for them. 

Once a deadline day signing for £9million from Danish side FC Midtjylland, things didn’t go to plan at Selhurst Park, but he is thriving in Spain. 

Selnes is a great supporter of his career and has followed him around wherever football has taken him.

Posts on her Instagram date right back to his time with Groningen in the Netherlands in the 2015/16 season and they have stuck together as life has taken them around Denmark, England, belgium, Turkey, and now Spain. 

A recent post from Selnes showed an array of baby outfits as the couple welcome young Emma into the world. 

Sorloth is now on 18 goals for this season, even if Villarreal have been out of sorts. Palace fans might be wishing they could have him back. 

With his 15-goal haul in LaLiga, he is only three strikes off top scorer Artem Dobvyk of Girona and might be hoping he can make a late charge for the Trofeo Pichichi, awarded to the top scorer.

Presumably these outfits aren’t for Selnes and Sorloth! The couple have been preparing for their life as a three

Sorloth has scored 18 goals in all competitions this season but Villarreal are mid-table 

As quirky as his story sounds, he isn’t the first player to miss his first moments of fatherhood to get his fix of football. 

Marius Hoibraten, who plays for Japanese club Urawa Red Diamonds, missed the birth of his son to be present at the Club World Cup in December.

In the end it was a calamitous decision because he scored an own goal against Manchester City, who beat them 3-0 in the semi-finals. He did, however, still get to witness the fruit of his loins being born over FaceTime. 

Other footballers have made the opposite decision.

Xabi Alonso missed a 2008 Champions League quarter-final match for Liverpool to be present at birth and fell out with manager Rafa Benitez as a result. 

Meanwhile, Fabian Delph flew home from the 2018 World Cup and missed England’s 4-3 penalty shoot-out win over Colombia in the last 16 to be with his wife as his wife, Natalie, as their third duahgter was born. 

He was, of course, watching the nail-biting last 16 clash on TV back in Britain. 

He wrote at the time: ‘I’ve just experienced the most amazing 24 hours. 

Some footballers do what Sorloth did and other take a match out. Fabian Delph flew home from the 2018 World Cup to be at the birth of his third child

‘Watching my brothers come through a tough game both mentally and physically, I kicked every ball and felt every bit of emotion with the players, staff and fans.

‘At 7.52am, me my wife and 2 beautiful daughters welcomed there baby sister into the world. I can’t put into words the happiness and gratitude I’m feeling… Back to Russia now #TunnelVision.’