Tanganga and Parrott delighted with Juve opportunity

What a way it was to kick-start our International Champions Cup (ICC) schedule for Academy graduates Troy Parrott and Japhet Tanganga!

Not only were they part of the squad on Sunday, as a late 50-yard lob from Harry Kane earned us a 3-2 victory over Juventus, but the duo were also given the opportunity to start - with the game marking Troy's first team debut.

Having been invited to be part of the pre-season tour of Asia, striker Troy, 17, and centre-back Japhet, 20, both featured in our ICC opener against the Italian champions and went on to provide encouraging accounts of themselves in the stifling heat at the Singapore National Stadium.

While Japhet partnered Toby Alderweireld at the heart of our defence to keep the Cristiano Ronaldo-led Juve attack at bay, Troy lined up in attack alongside Heung-Min Son and had a hand in our opening goal, as Erik Lamela tapped in the young Irishman’s saved effort on the half-hour mark.

The pair were withdrawn at the break before fellow Academy graduates Jack Roles and Harvey White joined Troy in making their first team debuts later in the second period.

In all, Mauricio Pochettino deployed a total of 11 players against the Old Lady who have progressed through our youth ranks  - and it was an experience that both Troy and Japhet are keen to have even more of...

“I really enjoyed it,” Troy beamed. “First of all, it was unbelievable to play at such a high level against such good opposition. At the start, nerves kick in but once you start the game you just want to keep going. You don’t want to stop. When you get that experience at that level you want more and more.

“When you come down the tunnel and you see 50,000 fans, you see the opposition you are playing against, you get a few butterflies but then once you're across the line, it’s like any other game and you do what you have to do to win.”

Echoing the debutant's thoughts, Japhet explained: “Like Troy said, it was a good challenge, a good experience.

“When you're in the tunnel and you see the opposition players, you’ve seen them on TV and then you see them in person… but once you get on the pitch, once you cross that line, you just focus and you have to treat them like any other player.

“Obviously you show respect, but not so much that you let them do what they want. It was a good experience for me - I found it tough, but it was really enjoyable."

The boys admitted that what has made their early steps into the first team set-up that bit easier has been the reception they have received from their senior comrades.

“The squad have made us all feel so welcome,” Japhet explained. “They integrate with us, speak with us. The sessions have been tough, but we’ve been working hard and got through it with all the players encouraging us, keeping us going, so it’s been good vibes around everyone."

Troy added: “It goes to show that the gaffer is willing to give youngsters a chance and that motivates all of us to keep pushing on and when you get that little experience, as I said before, you want more and more. Hopefully this will push us all on and we’ll keep going.”