Having made his first league start in Fulham’s match against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge last week, Academy graduate Matthew Briggs is now hoping to become more of a regular feature in Mark Hughes’ starting eleven.
Over recent seasons Briggs has been a consistent performer in Billy McKinlay’s development squad and those displays, along with his performances in training, convinced Mark Hughes that the youngster was ready for his maiden Premier League start.
“It’s a massive leap for me," Briggs told fulhamfc.com. "I’ve got my foot in the door and I’ve got to keep it there now. I’ve just got to prove myself.
“From playing against Millwall reserves to playing against the Champions was a big step and the pace of the game was a lot quicker. Playing against the likes of Drogba and Kalou was a big challenge. The players all told me that I did well so I’ve got to take that on board and move on from there.”
Briggs certainly showed no sign of being overawed by the occasion and, as he explained, the help and guidance he received from some of the more experienced members of the First Team played a key role.
“It was a massive night, it was my second start in the First Team,” he explained. “The lads gave me a lot of confidence and allowed me to play my normal game. It felt amazing, obviously Chelsea are one of the biggest sides in the Premier League so to get my first Premier League start against them was great.
“The players talked to me the whole game and let me know where I should be and at what time. Having Duffer [Damien Duff] with me also helped a lot. My target now is to get as many games as I can this season and hopefully also get into the England Under-21 side.”