“I knew that I was going to score and I backed myself.”
Lennon Miller showed admirable confidence and composure to convert the stoppage-time penalty that sent Motherwell into the Premier Sports Cup semi-finals.
That nerve is all the more impressive at the age of 18.
“I think I had more beads of sweat on my brow than he had,” joked manager Stuart Kettlewell after the 2-1 win over Dundee United at Fir Park.
“Nothing really surprises me with him, I’ve got so much trust that he picks the ball up, spots it and puts it in the back of the net.”
Miller made his Motherwell debut six days after his 16th birthday and is now just two games away from his 50th appearance.
He scored twice for the club last season and is on that mark already this term.
Earlier this month, the midfielder shone on his competitive debut for the Scotland Under-21s with a goal and two assists in a win over Malta.
“It’s obviously a big moment,” Miller said of his penalty winner. “But for me it was what I do in training every day.
“I never get too high and I never get too low and it’s just carried on onto the pitch.
“It’s probably helping me in these moments and hopefully there’s many more moments like that to come.”