Gary Irvine is definitely having the last laugh now that he is banging in the goals for Dundee.
What started out as a family in-joke has seen the full-back cash-in every time he has hit the back of the net for the Dark Blues.
Irvine’s equaliser against St Mirren in the Dens men’s 2-1 win in Paisley meant his name has been on the scoresheet more often in the last calendar month (four) than it has over the rest of his career (three).
The goal glut started back on December 27 in a disappointing 3-1 home defeat to the Buddies.
The 29-year-old defender then hit the target again in a comfortable victory over Motherwell at Dens, added a cracker up at Pittodrie in the 3-3 thriller against Aberdeen and then on Saturday he scrambled the ball over the line from a few centimetres’ out to level things up at St Mirren Park before Iain Davidson clinched the valuable victory.
That has left him in the money, as he explained.
“Goal targets don’t get spoken about in my house but I do have a goal bonus thing going with my father-in-law,” said Irvine.
“It is actually about him taking the mickey out of me because I hardly ever score.
“It’s being going on for years now.
“He told me that for this season he was going to give me a bonus of £30 a goal so he’s kind of gutted the way it’s been going.
“I now have four in seven (or three in four if you prefer) but I don’t even know what I’m saying because that’s striker talk that!
“Seriously, though, if I can keep getting myself into positions inside the box then that will be great.
“I have a good engine on me and can get up and down the park.”
While his wonder goal against the Dons will live long in the memory, the ‘strike’ against St Mirren was rather more modest, a mere tap-in in fact.
“That one was definitely within my range,” said a smiling Irvine.
“I think people are saying that there is a question mark over whether or not it was offside but I am just happy to be there to bundle the ball into the net.
“It was a great pass from Greg (Stewart) and I think that caught everyone by surprise, given the form he has been in and the fact that he was one-on-one with the keeper like that.
“I maybe put him off by screaming for the ball and I surprised myself by being in that position.
“I am just happy.”
Seventh-placed Dundee are now just a point behind St Johnstone and are right in the mix for a top-six Premiership finish.
Irvine added: “My way of thinking is that you should always look at what’s in front of you rather than behind you so I have been looking to see who is ahead of us and what it would take to catch them.”
What was otherwise an excellent day’s work for the Dark Blues was marred by a serious injury to matchwinner Davidson in the closing moments of the match.
He was taken away on a stretcher to hospital and there will be an anxious wait to see just how much damage has been done.
Manager Paul Hartley said: “He took a really bad one on the ankle and has had to go straight to hospital.
“There is a big gash on the leg but he is more concerned about the twist that he has had in the ankle.”
Also, there is concern over Gary Harkins after he suffered a head cut that had to be stitched and then was seen hobbling later on in the match.
Hartley added: “It took him about 10 minutes to get back on the park.
“We were playing with 10 men for quite some time.
“It was a really deep cut that needed stitches and we will just have to see how he is when we get back training.”