

A hat-trick is a special achievement in football, experienced by the very few.
And a hat-trick from a defender? Rarer still.
And a hat-trick comprised of three absolute screamers from a full-back? Well, that's once-in-a-lifetime stuff.
So you'll be very interested in watching the incredible clip below, which show Pollock Juniors defender Tam Hanlon playing in the Scottish Junior West Premier League. Not content with nailing one free-kick, he then blasts in a long-range effort in play because walloping a second free-kick in to take home the match ball.
Just take a look at these beauties:
He seems so nonchalant about it, doesn't he? He must be some defender if they're playing him there and not up front, that's all we can say.
Spurred on by Hanlon's efforts, we had a quick search for defender hat-tricks - as far as we can tell, the solitary Premier League hat-trick from a 'defender' came from Everton's Steve Watson, who netted three times against Leeds in a 4-0 win in 2003. However, he was playing in midfield for the Toffees at the time.
Get exclusive shortlists, celebrity interviews and the best deals on the products you care about, straight to your inbox.
The last hat-trick in the top flight, by a genuine defender, playing in defence, was from Liverpool's Gary Gillespie against Birmingham in 1986, during a 5-0 win:
Meanwhile, lower down the leagues, Leyton Orient's left-back Matt Lockwood scored a Division Three hat-trick back in 2006, netting three times in the last 13 minutes of the game to earn a remarkable 3-3 draw against Gillingham:
Glorious, glorious stuff.

As Content Director of Shortlist, Marc likes nothing more than to compile endless lists of an evening by candlelight. He started out life as a movie writer for numerous (now defunct) magazines and soon found himself online - editing a gaggle of gadget sites, including TechRadar, Digital Camera World and Tom's Guide UK. At Shortlist you'll find him mostly writing about movies and tech, so no change there then.
-
Wimbledon's biggest ever upsets: 8 shocking tennis matches that no-one could have predicted
New balls, please...
-
The rarest animals, boxer shorts, and cosplaying Dune: 6 secrets from the stars of new Apple TV+ nature doc, The Wild Ones
It's like if David Attenborough and the Three Musketeers had a crossover