When Ben Gannon-Doak threw out an over-and-out signal to the bench with 15 minutes to play of Scotland’s win over Haiti it was natural to fear the worst. A nation took a sharp intake of breath.
As the man himself puts it, his race was run. There was no cause for alarm.
"I was needing hooked,” says the Bournemouth winger. "Both my calves decided to leave the stadium before me.
"They cramped up a bit so I was more than happy to make way and get my backside on that chair."
Some departures are more difficult than others. On an epic night at Hampden in November the 20-year-old provided the cross for that Scott McTominay overhead kick against Denmark. Providing pace, running and an out ball – rare attributes in a Scotland attacker - he tumbled to the deck with a severe hamstring injury in the 21st minute and it had much the same impact as someone taking a pin to a bubble.
Sent for surgery his next appearance came in the final minutes of a 2-2 draw with Manchester United four months later. Towards the end of the season his minutes were carefully managed.
"It has been a bit of a rollercoaster,” he acknowledges now. “It starts off on such a high when we win that game and all concern about injuries flies out the window.
"Then you come down from that and find out the news that you need an operation and you can't walk for a couple of weeks and when you can walk you realise it is only going to get harder.
"So it has been very up and down but with the motivation of wanting to be here that made life a whole lot easier because I had something to work towards.
"It is all part of the game, all part of the journey."
Knee surgery forced him out of Clarke’s plans for Euro 2024 in Germany. But for bad luck he might have had none at all when it comes to injuries and a lack of game time raised questions over his ability to travel to another major tournament.
Asked if he shared those concerns he replies: "No. The only thing that would have stopped me being here was if I had a major, major set-back.
"I was always due to be back in the training a few months in advance and if I could get a few appearances off the bench that would be a bonus and I was lucky enough to get off the bench and play some significant minutes before the season ended and it left me in good stead.
"I would say it's the most confident I have felt in my body, physically since coming back from my injury, since coming into this warm weather camp, it has helped me with my fitness, my body and being confident in my physical qualities comes out in my game. I am feeling good."
It showed against Bolivia in the final warm-up game and, again, against Haiti when he posed persistent issues for the left back Martin Experience.
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Steve Clarke had a slightly different take on events, damning the young winger with the kind faint praise which suggests he is nowhere near the finished article. Not yet.
“Listen, Ben’s Ben,” said Clarke. “I thought they had a full-back playing really well. I thought they, as actually handled him really well.”
There’s always the danger of a younger player believing his own hype and praise and senior pros in the squad do their best to keep him on his toes.
After foiling a Haiti attack he allowed himself a pump of the fist and has spent every day since regretting it.
"I think I just buzzing about being able to be decent at defending for a change. Obviously a bit of adrenaline.
"McGinn hammered me for celebrating winning a goal kick so I don't want to talk too much about that.
"I think that's what playing in a Scotland shirt does to you. I really enjoyed it.
"We haven't really de-briefed the game yet if I'm being honest, but If I think back about myself, I'm quite happy to have contributed on both sides of the game.
"It's not about me, but every single one of the lads who started or came off the bench were top drawer.
"I'm just doing my job, I am trying to put the ball in a dangerous area, they are the ones grabbing the headlines because they deserve it.”
He grabs a few headlines of his own with his dynamism and pace. Searching his name on social media after the Haiti game most of the comments were from overseas accounts praising his impact and potential. Before the game, at least, he steered clear of his mobile phone.
"In the lead-up to the game I have my phone on 'do not disturb', I don't see any of that.
"The more you hype up a game, the more you can let the occasion get to you.
"It is better for me to take a step back and realise that I have been playing footy all my life, it is not any different to playing in the park.
"It is different but that is the way I think about it to be prepared.
"Obviously it helps, you see all the support from back home from your mates, from your family and then obviously in the crowd as well when they are that vocal and that passionate. That can come out in the performance."
