3/1 To Win
Derby County midfielder Jason Knight says he was 'proud' to earn his first senior cap for the Republic of Ireland on Wednesday against Finland.
The 19-year-old, who only made his debut for the Rams 14 months ago against Huddersfield Town, appeared for the final seven minutes of the game in midweek off the bench.
The game ended in defeat for Ireland, as a second half strike ensured they fell to defeat in Helsinki.
But it will always be a night that Knight will remember for many reasons.
“It has been a bit of a whirlwind week,” Knight told RamsTV. “I started with the Under-21s and ended up in Finland with the first team.
“There were a few COVID-19 cases I think and I got drafted and a couple of other lads were as well. I trained with the senior team for a couple of days then came on and made my debut.
“It was a really good experience first of all to play with these players that you have looked up to.
“Now it is just trying to stay in there. I was lucky enough to come on and make my full debut and I was delighted, obviously not with the result but to come on and make my debut was a special moment.
“It was a huge moment and what I have strived towards since I was a little boy and coming on was a special moment for me and my family.”
For now, Knight’s feet are firmly on the floor.
It’s been a meterioric rise for the 19-year-old Academy graduate, but he knows he needs to continue his fine form to stay around the set up.
“It has been a crazy 18 months,” he admitted. “I just need to keep going and see where that takes me. I need to keep performing well at Derby and hopefully I can get called-up again.”
