Kieran Tierney revels in ‘very special’ night after firing Scotland to the World Cup | OneFootball

Kieran Tierney has described the "surreal" sensation of propelling Scotland towards the World Cup, a moment he cherishes after enduring significant "grinding" through challenging periods in his career.

The 28-year-old Celtic left-back has faced a career plagued by injuries, which saw him sidelined during the last two European Championships and also impacted his tenure at Arsenal.

Even following his return to his boyhood club, the defender’s playing time is carefully managed, leading to him starting on the bench for Scotland’s crucial final Group C fixture against Denmark on Tuesday.

However, Tierney made an impactful entrance in an unfamiliar right-back role, delivering a decisive blow just three minutes into stoppage time.

He curled home a first-time effort from 25 yards, dramatically putting Scotland ahead.

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Kieran Tierney’s brilliant finish put Scotland ahead in stoppage time (Andrew Milligan/PA) (PA Wire)

This vital contribution, coming from an initially supporting role, was fitting for a player who has been a crucial component of Steve Clarke’s squad whenever fit.

Reflecting on his journey, Tierney stated: "It’s very special because the last few years, everybody probably knows, I’ve been through a lot with different injuries, with different things. That’s football and that’s life.

“I’ve just kept trying to work hard and give my best and go through the bad things and just keep grinding. I’ve done that and moments like that make it all worth it."

He continued, describing the magnitude of the achievement: "It’s surreal. I’ve never really scored a goal just as important as that. What a feeling it was. For the country, for the fans, for the staff, for everyone, for the team.

“I think we all deserve that with how hard we work and what we’ve been through these last few years. Getting to the World Cup tops it off for this group because it’s something that we hadn’t managed to do before."

The dramatic late goal capped an extraordinary night at Hampden, which had already seen Scott McTominay stun the crowd with an overhead kick just three minutes in, and Lawrence Shankland restore the hosts’ lead.

Denmark had managed to level for a second time, despite being reduced to 10 men, before Tierney’s intervention. The 4-2 victory was then sealed by Kenny McLean, who scored from the halfway line with the final kick.

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Kenny McLean joked that Tierney’s goal was only the third best of the night (Andrew Milligan/PA Wire)

Despite the significance of his strike, Tierney’s goal was, as McLean humorously pointed out, only the third best of the night.

"It’s mental, isn’t it?" Tierney remarked. "I’ll take it. Honestly, I didn’t care if I scored or not as long as we went through."

He also revealed a moment of hesitation before his decisive shot: "Somebody at the edge actually told me, ‘Time, take a touch’. I don’t know who it was.

“Of course there’s a doubt. I’m not really known for my shooting, so of course there’s a doubt. But it just fell there nicely. It was perfect just to go and hit it first time and try and put it in the corner and I managed to do that."

The jubilant celebrations that followed Tierney’s goal and McLean’s clincher will undoubtedly be etched into the memories of all present at Hampden.

Tierney highlighted the collective spirit: "I ran to the dugout and everybody was out, the subs, the staff, the coaches. I think that shows one of our biggest strengths as a team is the togetherness. Through good times and through bad times, we’re always there for each other. We want the best for each other.

“The manager said it before the game, everyone here is important. The people who come on, the people who don’t come on, the starters, the staff. We need to give our all. This team, we all do that."