Pennington: I wasn’t expecting to play, I thought I might sneak on the bench
Young Everton defender Matthew Pennington admitted that he was surprised to be included in the starting line-up for the league cup game against Barnsley and said he only found out 2 hours before kick off that he was playing.
The 20 year old made his first competitive appearance in the 3-5 win at Oakwell and he admitted that he thought he might have sneaked a place on the bench.
“I only found out two hours before kick-off!” Pennington told evertontv when asked about his debut. “The gaffer said I was going to start in the meeting beforehand. I wasn’t expecting it really – I thought I might sneak on the bench.
“I enjoyed being on the pitch but not the 2-0 scoreline in the first half. It was great to be out there with senior pros talking me through it. To play with them was brilliant.
“I bet it was a good game to watch. It had everything but I am just glad we got through to the next round.
“I was delighted to start and it’s a dream come true for me.
“Every player who makes their debut says they want more and that is exactly it for me. It was my first appearance for Everton – hopefully it’s the first of many.”
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