Ben Foster admitted it was a “fantastic” feeling to finally make his first-team debut in the narrow 1-0 victory at Derby.
The goalkeeper was thrust into action at Pride Park due to the enforced absence of Edwin van der Sar and Tomasz Kuszczak, just a week after returning from an eight-month injury lay-off himself.
The 24-year-old, who joined the Reds in 2005 but spent the last two seasons on loan at Watford, told MUTV: “I finally feel
like a United player now!
“I’ve been here nearly three years and it’s good to finally get on the pitch for the first team in a competitive game.
“I’m not one for nerves – I just take things in my stride and try not to think about things too much. It’s a big thing to come back from injury and to be thrown straight into the first team, but I thoroughly enjoyed it – though it was a bit harder than I thought!”
Many pundits predicted a cakewalk for United against rock-bottom Derby, but the Reds spurned chance after chance and would have fallen behind in the first half had Foster not made two fine saves from Kenny Miller.
The keeper added: “The first one was a reaction save to my left and Kenny Miller was through one-on-one for the second, but I stopped it and I went in at half-time feeling good.