The 28-year-old striker came off the bench to equalise in injury time against Georgia and he admitted his goal gave him a boost because he knows his place in the squad hasn’t been guaranteed so he was happy to make a difference.

Asked about the goal, he told FourFourTwo magazine: “I’ve felt part of the group but it does give you belief when you can point to something like that and know you’ve directly contributed.

“You want to feel like you’ve earned your stripes.

“As a striker, and especially as someone who hasn’t been first choice, you have to make the most of any opportunities that come your way.

“You may only get one chance – if you’re lucky.

“We were losing but the game was going the way a player like me would want it to go; all the action in and around Georgia’s box.

“I was desperate to get on, to try to get a sniff.

“Stuart Armstrong put in a really good cross and my priority was just to get the header on target. Thankfully it went in.

"That really was a great feeling.”

Lawrence admitted his place in the Scotland squad means more to him now than it did when he was younger.

He said: “When I was younger, the magnitude of being called into squads didn’t hit home.

"It did after I went through a spell of being left out.

“Suddenly you’re watching Scotland on the TV and you’d give anything to be involved again.

“It’s been an up-and-down journey for me but I wouldn’t trade it.”