Louis Moult is not a man afflicted by self-doubt.
Never has that been more apparent than when the Dundee United ace was waiting to take to the field against St Mirren.
Out of action since December 14 and only fit enough for a place on the bench due to a pre-match numbing injection; the odds were against Moult emerging as an immediate game-changer.
Try telling him that.
He laughed: “I turned around to the bench before I came on and said, “this just stinks of a Louis Moult 1-0 win!”
“You might think that sounds cocky, but that’s just belief. I’ve always been a guy who’ll believe in my ability to score goals.”
Moult: ‘I can’t believe I can still get my leg that high!’
The confidence was justified.
Moult produced a moment of genius to seal a 1-0 win for the Tangerines, flicking a loose ball up for himself before unleashing a magical bicycle kick.
The effort came exactly 10 years and one day on from an identikit strike in the colours of Wrexham, sealing a 2-2 drew with Stockport in the FA Trophy (view below).
“I can’t believe I can still get my leg that high after a decade,” Moult joked.
“It was 10 years on Friday that I scored an overhead kick for Wrexham against Stockport, and it popped up on my social media.
“It’s funny how things like that happen. Maybe it was in my mind, subconsciously. So, when the ball drops, I thought, “set it up for a bicycle kick”. When I was on the ground, I was saying, “is it in? Is it not?”
“It was relief when it did.”
Moult ‘was going insane’
Not a bad impact for a player who was not expected to be in contention for a return until the Scottish Cup clash with Dundee on January 20.
“I wasn’t going to be involved on Saturday,” he continued. “But I knocked on the gaffer’s door and said, “give me the injection and, if we can get through it, then I want to be involved”.
“I was going insane just watching.”
Asked what the United medical staff will think of him producing acrobatics and landing full on his previously injured shoulder, Moult smiled: “I don’t know about that – but it might be the celebration they’d have a problem with.
“I’m not sure what I was doing. My shoulder felt brilliant – couldn’t feel a thing – so I just decided to whip my top off and start swinging it about!”
The adoring Arabs lapped up that magic moment, which was followed swiftly by Jack Walton’s stunning penalty save to deny Toyosi Olusanya.
And they serenaded both men at full-time, with the rendition of Moult’s song – to the tune of Spandau Ballet’s “Gold” – proving an ear-worm once more.
“It’s an unbelievable feeling when you hear them sing it,” added Moult. “I love it and I’m going to milk it. I do find myself in the shower humming along to it!
“Those scenes at the end is what we are all about. Two years ago, this club was on the decline, and we are hopefully on an upwards trajectory now. We need to continue that.
“When you see the players, manager, board, fans all together as one, it’s hard not to be successful.”
Moult silencing doubters
Moult, meanwhile, is averaging a goal every 117 minutes against top-flight opposition this season and has rippled the net four times in his last six games.
Any suggestions he could no longer cut it at Premiership level have been blown away.
If he can remain fit for the remainder of the season, United have a real attacking asset. And there is much to play for.
The Tangerines occupy third place in the Premiership with just 10 games left until the split. Top six football looms large – and then perhaps even loftier aspirations. But Moult has been around the block long enough to retain a sense of perspective.
“I’ve been there before; you start thinking you are really good football players, and you’ve cracked it – then it falls down,” added Moult.
“So, let’s not get carried away. Let’s take it game by game. And if we treat every game like we did at the weekend, we won’t be far off.”
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