Scotland’s World Cup comeback after 28 years produced an unlikely star, with 20-year-old Ben Gannon-Doak stealing the show against Haiti in Boston.
The Bournemouth winger was not even born when Scotland last appeared on football’s biggest stage, yet he performed as though he had been there his whole career.
With 54 minutes on the clock, Gannon-Doak let out a roar, clenched his fist and punched the air after shielding the ball out for a Scotland goal-kick.
He celebrated the moment like he had just scored the winning goal at the World Cup, and the Tartan Army inside Boston Stadium responded with enormous energy.
Scott McTominay had recovered from a stomach bug to start, while John McGinn and Lawrence Shankland were also given the nod from the off.
Yet despite that experienced cast, it was Gannon-Doak who captured every moment of imagination and gave Scotland supporters something genuinely special to cheer.
Two years ago, the teenager was a surprise inclusion in Steve Clarke’s squad for Euro 2024 before injury forced him to withdraw before the tournament even began.
That setback was followed by more injury misery, including a hamstring problem described as “hanging on by a thread” suffered against Denmark in November’s final qualifier.
When McTominay struck the post, it came on the end of another dazzling Gannon-Doak burst down the right flank that had Haiti’s defence scrambling desperately.
He then set up Che Adams for a shot that was parried into the path of McGinn, who wheeled away in ecstasy as Scotland scored their first World Cup goal since 1998.
For 83 minutes, Gannon-Doak was also the youngest player ever to appear at a World Cup for Scotland, a record that only ended when 19-year-old Findlay Curtis came off the bench.
“He had a cracker tonight,” said former Scotland winger Pat Nevin on BBC Sportsound, capturing the mood of a delighted travelling support in Massachusetts.
“He’s what you want a Scotland player to be,” added ex-captain Scott Brown on BBC One, summing up what so many supporters felt watching the youngster perform.
Off the pitch, Gannon-Doak’s journey has been shaped by a return to faith after difficult periods dealing with injury and loneliness following his move from Celtic to Liverpool at 16.
“I just felt God calling me,” the 20-year-old revealed earlier this year, adding that he felt stronger and more grounded as a result of returning to his Catholic faith.
“I’m praying before games, I read the Bible on my own — it’s at the root of everything, including my football,” he explained, describing a private practice he keeps away from the dressing room.
Scotland won nervously but meaningfully, claiming their first World Cup victory in 36 years, with Gannon-Doak at the very heart of everything that was good about their performance.
