Seb Ross scored one of the goals of the season to help Forfar claim their sixth win in seven League Two games.
The former Aberdeen youngster netted a stunning 30-yard free-kick in the 2-1 victory over Stranraer on Saturday.
That effort also saw him earn a place in the SPFL Team of the Week.
But while he used to be a set-piece specialist in his teenage years, Ross says Forfar boss Ray McKinnon has given him the confidence to express himself.
“If you’d asked me to hit that free-kick 18 months ago I’d have laughed,” said Ross.
Seb Ross, that is sensational! 😍#cinchL2 | @ForfarAthletic pic.twitter.com/fpY1lIMLa5
— SPFL (@spfl) February 6, 2023
“I didn’t have the confidence back then.
“I wasn’t getting regular games and didn’t have the same belief.
“When I was younger I took a lot of free-kicks. I scored a fair few at under-14s and under-15s level.
“I’ve always been capable but you need people to believe in you. You also need to believe in yourself.
“The funny thing is I was going to pass the ball initially.
Congratulation @sebastianross10 on making the
SPFL team of the week. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼C’mon the Loons. pic.twitter.com/8xdaEvmOko
— Forfar Athletic (@ForfarAthletic) February 7, 2023
“I had Mark Docherty alongside me saying: ‘I’m going to run down the line so slip me in.’
“But I told him: ‘Look where the goalie is.’
“Mark ran over to the wall and was screaming at me to smash it in the top corner. So I did.
“It could have been different if I’d passed to him but I’m sure we’d still have scored.
“I have every faith in Mark that he’d have danced round four defenders and planted the ball into the bottom corner!”
Seb Ross: I’m playing with a smile again
Ross was starved of game time at Falkirk.
He was given a total of just 59 minutes across six fleeting sub appearances before making the January switch to Forfar.
And he added: “I’m playing with a smile again.
“That comes from having a manager who trusts me and allows me to go and express myself.
“There was a buzz when I first arrived at Forfar and it’s getting better with every passing week.
“Winning helps but there’s such a great team spirit here that it’s helping us on the park.
“We’re up to fourth but aren’t taking anything for granted. League Two is one of the most competitive competitions around right now.
“Every team is capable of cutting each other up so we’ll keep trying to win every week and see where it takes us.”
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