If they feel they’ve got even the merest touch on a net-bound ball, intentional or otherwise, it’s long been a tradition among strikers to claim the goal.
Dundee front man Faissal El Bahktaoui admits it’s a rule he’ll happily stick to.
But when he saw team-mate Jack Hendry’s bruised face after he claimed the winner at Raith Rovers on Tuesday night, “Faz” was happy to make a one-time exception.
And what mattered most to him was the goal meant Dundee got their Betfred Cup campaign off on a winning foot.
With both believing they got the vital touch for the dramatic injury-time effort, there was confusion over whose name should go down on the score sheet until confirmation after the game came from the Dark Blues’ dressing-room that Hendry was getting the credit.
And given he picked up a black eye in the process, El Bakhtaoui felt it was only right he shouldn’t dispute that decision.
“I thought I scored but Jack said he heads the ball as well. I think what has happened is when Jack heads the ball, 90% it touches me too.
“That’s why I put my hands up for the goal because I do think it has hit me. I am a striker and I will claim the goal always. It has maybe hit us at the same time and it was Jack’s header. He is saying it is his goal so I agree.
“Maybe even then I would still claim the goal, but when I saw Jack’s face and the mark on it I was happy to give it to him. He was brave he deserves it 100%.
“And I am just happy because we got the winner and all the points, the game didn’t have to go to penalties and it was a good win for us.”
After the disaster of the group stages last season when Paul Hartley’s team kicked off with a draw at East Fife that saw them miss out on the bonus point and never recover, he believes winning the opener this time round was vital.
With Buckie up next at Dens today and Cowdenbeath to come away on Wednesday night, it leaves Dundee and city rivals United on course for a shoot-out to decide the group winners in the derby on Sunday week.
And for El Bakhtaoui just getting the season off to a winning start was important.
“The goal was massive for the club and for the fans as well and we were pleased for them.
“For the new players coming in and a new team it is good to get the first three points and continue that in the next game.
“We now have a chance to win every game in this cup, but we just have to keep working hard and look after the next game.”
On a personal note, with competition among the strikers fierce and only increasing with the arrival Tuesday’s other goal hero Sofien Moussa, he was delighted to claim a starting place in that competitive opener.
He’s pledged to do all he can to hold on to that jersey.
“I was very happy to be in because there are many good strikers here. The manager gave me the confidence in training and I worked hard to try to be in the starting team.
“I do that every week and try to show the manager I should be playing. I have to because he demands that everyone has to work hard and everyone is in training.
“Everyone is fighting for their place and we have good competition all over the pitch.
“The gaffer likes that and he is a winner. He likes to win all the time, it was like that even in the friendlies before we played Raith Rovers.
“Even in training he likes us to do all we can to win every single game.”
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