Seventeen-year-old on his league debut
Ben Harrison coped admirably on his first-team debut at Accrington Stanley – and he hopes his elevation from the Under-18s can inspire more youngsters to come through.
It was a day of mixed emotions for the 17-year-old academy product (pictured) as Harrison’s competitive first-team bow ended in defeat, but he earned praise from manager Neal Ardley for his performance.
Speaking to Rob Cornell during an interview for Dons Player, Harrison said: “I was nervous in the changing room beforehand, but the boys helped me through the game. It was exciting and I absolutely loved it. The manager has a big trust in youth and there are some great boys in the Under-18s. Hopefully, there will be more opportunities for them to come through in the future.
“It was very disappointing in the end today because we had worked so hard for the whole game. They piled on the pressure in the first-half, but we were much better going forward after the break. However, you’re not guaranteed anything in this league and they nicked it right at the end.”
Harrison added that the Dons are determined to put on a performance against League 2 leaders Burton Albion tomorrow night.
“Everyone was disappointed afterwards, but we need to switch back on for Tuesday now and the boys will be raring to go,” Harrison said. “Burton are top of the table and they look very good, but we will be aiming to give them a good game and show them what we’re made of on Tuesday night.”
The full interview with Ben Harrison appeared on Dons Player yesterday.