SCOTTISH starlet Cameron Gardner outshone Bruno Fernandes and co to claim the Man of the Match award as his Grimsby Town team stunned Manchester United last week.
Now he’s desperate to make an impact for his country as he prepares to make his Scotland Under 21s bow against Czechia.
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Scot Gemmill included the 19-year-old for the first time for the opening Euro 2027 qualifier in Uherske Hradiste before they face Portugal next week in Motherwell.
Gardner had two goals disallowed as English League Two side Grimsby created one of the great shocks in football when they eliminated United from the Carabao Cup after a penalty shootout to spark scenes of celebration at Blundell Park.
The Gateshead-born striker had a double celebration after earning his first call-up and then knocking the Old Trafford superstars out of the Cup.
And he’s desperate to make his international bow too.
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He said: “It was massive. It’s obviously a game that will forever go down in history. and to beat Manchester United as well was incredible.
“I got two goals disallowed – the first one was for handball, but the second one was never offside!
“And to get the Man of the Match just topped it off. I didn’t even expect to start, to be honest.
“I saw it as a great opportunity to see what I could do and I thought I took it.
“You look at them and they are obviously very special players, but then the moment you step on the pitch, you realise they are just other players like you and the image you have of them changes – they were just opponents we had to play against.
“But obviously, we could tell the level they play at is very high.
“You just try to do everything you can to cause a nuisance and I think I did that.
“Their players were obviously gutted after the game, but they were very respectful and professional towards us.
“The celebrations were good, but the manager told us we needed to make sure we recover for Saturday’s game.
“My dad was born in Motherwell and half of my family are Scottish so it was a proud moment for me to be called up for the Under 21s.
“I rang my dad to tell him the news I was starting against Man Utd and then about half an hour later I said to him, ‘Dad, don’t have a heart attack, but I’ve been called up for Scotland too!’ So it was a good day and he was buzzing for me.
“At the club, I have Jamie Walker as a team mate too and he is delighted for me. In the dressing room, I brought in a Scotland flag and we sit in the same section and we call it the Scottish corner.
“It’s going really well and I scored my first goal of the season too. To get called-up is a great boost for me.”
Now he’s hoping to make an impact for Gemmill’s new-look side.
He said: “I’ve never played at international level before, so I am really looking forward to it. But I had never experienced playing against a Premier League side either and that worked out well.
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“I’ll approach it the same and try and cause problems and score goals.
“I’m loving being here. It’s a goal I have had since I was seven years old to play for my country, so to finally do that is brilliant for me.”
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