Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Dedicates his to Jim McLean
throughout the game and fancied his chances of catching him out.
He said: “I had had a few glances prior to that to see his positioning when the ball was up the park.
“That time I didn’t get the chance to look properly but I had a rough idea where he might be.
“It was then just about the technique and getting it on target and thankfully it dropped in.
“I had an idea that it had a chance as soon as I hit it.
“I didn’t know if I had put too much on it and it would land on the roof of the net but I have seen the footage back and it just fell under the bar. “I am happy it did!
“I think you need to always take a look (at keepers) because there is a chance to score, as I showed, if you get it on target.
“There are other things you might try and they will end up at the corner flag and you look daft but not this time,” he added.
“It is the old: ‘If you don’t shoot you don’t score’ thing.
“I had missed a good chance in the first half so I was probably frustrated.
“I was just looking for the opportunity to make up for it so I had a go.”
Being so close to the United technical area, Shankland found himself in the unusual position of being mobbed by the coaching staff before his team-mates reached him to celebrate.
“Before I knew what was happening
I was kind of in the dugout,” he said.
“I was keeping my eye on the ball and didn’t really know where I was, to be honest. I could have fallen over the water bottles, I think.
“Aye, it was good to see everybody’s reaction and I will probably enjoy the goal looking back on it more than I did at the time.”
As soon as the ball hit the back of the net, Shankland assumed a starring role on social media but he wasn’t getting caught up in the hullabaloo. He had more important things on his mind.
He explained: “I haven’t even looked at my phone to be honest because it’s just the missus telling me to hurry up and get home so we can have something to eat!”