Charlie Mulgrew has given his verdict of his viral free-kick goal: ‘I’m meant to cross it’.

The 35-year-old scored a cheeky free-kick, catching the keeper unaware with a bizarre run-up to score from 40 yards out.

The effort has been viewed thousands of times on social media which was Mulgrew’s first goal for Dundee United in his second spell.

That goal proved to be the difference in in Saturday’s Group B encounter with Championship visitors Arbroath, his disguised 21st minute free-kick deceiving Derek Gaston to give United a third straight win.

 

 

Mulgrew became something of a set-piece specialist in Rovers colours, a regular source of goals from centre back in their League One promotion campaign and 2018/19 Championship season, handed the duties from penalties, free-kicks and corners, from which he found the net three times.

And after his latest strike, Mulgrew said: “It’s a set piece we’ve worked on. I’m not meant to shoot. I’m meant to cross it, but I noticed the keeper was creeping a wee bit so I thought I’d have a go.

“It paid off. I caught it well and was just a bit too far for the keeper to get back.

“I knew when I hit it, I hit it well.

“It’s something I always look for when I’m over a free-kick.

“You probably should cross but I always look to see what the keeper’s doing.

“I back myself so I was thankful to see it go in.”

It was a first goal in United colours for 15 years, with Mulgrew seeing similarities between the two.

“I remember my last goal here fifteen years ago against Inverness. It was a similar sort of situation,” he added.

“It was a shot that was meant to be a cross and it went into the bottom corner against Mark Brown.

“I’m delighted but the most important thing is the win and we’re happy with it.”