When I saw the ref going to VAR my first thought was 'You've got to be joking..I'm just on the park

Red-card check had Johnston's nerves jangling before he was given all-clear

- BY KEITH JACKSON

IT only went on for a minute or so.

But for Max Johnston it must have felt like an eternity.

Sent on from the Scotland bench to take over from a tiring Aaaron Hickey at a point in the game when the Brentford man was at serious risk of picking up a second booking.

At a time when top seeds Denmark were pushing for the goal which would wreck all of the good work Steve Clarke's men had put in to take them to within touching distance of a potentially crucial opening point in Group C.

Only to be left with his heart in his mouth after using an arm to get his first touch of the ball and sparking a VAR review which — had it gone wrong - could have crushed our World Cup campaign before it had even properly started.

At that moment, with so much in the balance, Derby new boy Johnston may have wanted the ground to open up beneath his feet at the Parken Stadium.

Nowonder then that he was still reliving the trauma of it all at the team’s base camp in Copenhagen yesterday.

“Oh God. When it went to VAR my legs turned to jelly,” Johnston smiled in utter relief as he reflected on his ultimate sliding doors moment.

He went on: “I didn’t think it was a red card but I am just so happy the ref saw it that way.

“I got a wee nudge in the back. I jumped and was pushed while I was in the air. The ball hit me on my sleeve.

“I had just come on so it was difficult but you have to put it behind you and I thought I managed to do that.