Donny van de Beek admitted to entering virtually unknown territory as he helped Everton towards a vital win at the weekend.
His man-of-the-match performance against Leeds was his FIRST Premier League start of the season, and the first time he has completed 90 minutes in the competition in nine months.
The Dutch midfielder has already clocked up 120 minutes for his new club Everton in just two matches - almost doubling the 69 minutes he was given at Manchester United in the League during the entire campaign.
That is one of the big reasons behind his loan move to Goodison, and he admitted game time felt good.
“I am really happy to play 90 minutes,” he said.
“In the last 20 minutes I felt it was a long time ago that I played a full game, and I was a little bit tired! But it was an amazing day and a good start for me. We really needed this.”
Have Your Say! Did Van de Beek deserve more game time at Man Utd? Join the debate here.
Van de Beek was overlooked by a succession of managers at Old Trafford, and he feared his career was stalling after being confined to the bench for so long.
He has started just four games for United in the Premier League, and completed 90 minutes only three times.
But at Everton he has been given real responsibility by new boss Frank Lampard, and he said to the club website: “Now I feel I can make steps.
“I am happy to play my first game (as a starter). I think I can help the team but still there is space for improvement.
“I was sharp, took many balls and made some good decisions on the ball – but I am always critical and always can do better. It is not about me though, it is about winning games for the club and the team and I am here to help.”
Van de Beek wants to help steer Everton clear of the relegation threat they face, with the club still just five points above the drop zone.
And he believes Leeds was a good start: “The manager wants me to bring some quality with the ball, to link-up in midfield. He expects a lot from me and I expect a lot from myself, so I am really happy with the first two weeks.
“But we had to play better than against Newcastle. We need to put passion in our game, everyone knows we are not in the spot we have to be and it is only one game.
“It is a long way to go until the end. Yet from the training and what I saw against Leeds and the fans, I am really happy to be here. We can take confidence now and build and improve.”
