Adam Armstrong endured a moment to forget as eagle-eyed fans spotted him ripping his shirt off to celebrate promotion prematurely. Armstrong made the difference in the Championship play-off final between Southampton and Leeds United with the striker scoring the only goal of the game in a 1-0 victory. It will see the Saints return to the Premier League at the first time of asking with Leeds having to endure another year in the second tier, despite managing 90 points in the league.
For some players, the Championship play-off final can be the highlight of their career so Armstrong might be forgiven for going a little early with his celebrations. More than 11 minutes into injury-time at Wembley, referee John Brooks blew for a foul but Armstrong misconstrued what he meant and thought it was the full-time whistle. He immediately ripped his shirt off and started running towards the fans before realising the game was still being played.
Armstrong swiftly put his shirt back on for fear of a booking from the referee. While the 27-year-old might have avoided the referee's glare, he did not escape some eagle-eyed fans. A clip of Armstrong celebrating wildly was posted on social media by a Southampton fan, which has since gone viral.
While the former Blackburn star had to stunt his celebrations, he did not have to wait much longer before the real thing. After the free-kick was taken, then Brooks blew for full-time and Armstrong yanked his shirt off again - this time running towards the So.
