Jun’ai Byfield reveals why he confronted player 11 years his senior on Tottenham debut
Jun’ai Byfield has opened up on making his Tottenham Hotspur debut and has shed light on an interesting moment he was involved in against Borussia Dortmund.
The 17-year-old, who has been named a few times on the bench this season, was thrown on by Thomas Frank on 63 minutes against Dortmund after Lucas Bergvall was forced off with an injury.
Byfield, who slotted in at right-back, looked calm and composed, and Thomas Frank praised the youngster for the way he handled the pressure of the occasion.
The Spurs academy graduate also earned the praise of Kevin Danso, who admitted that the young defender has impressed him a lot in training.
Jun’ai Byfield admits he listened to his parents’ advice on his Tottenham debt
The Tottenham youngster admitted that it was a dream come true when he got the opportunity to run onto the pitch in Lilywhite colours.
Speaking after his debut, Byfield said (via Football.London): “It was just an amazing moment for me and my family. It’s a moment I’ve worked hard for my whole life and it’s finally come and I’m grateful.”
There was an interesting moment late in the game when the youngster got into a confrontation with Dortmund substitute Julian Ryerson, with the 17-year-old shouting back at the man 11 years his senior.
When asked about that confrontation, Byfield said: “My parents told me not to be afraid of anyone, and there was a moment in the game where one of them gave me some stick, I gave it right back to him. Just don’t be afraid of people.”
Byfield admits he was mentally prepared for his Spurs debut
What makes the youngster’s debut even more impressive is the fact that he played out of position.
The teenager plays in the heart of defence at the youth level, but was asked to do a job at right-back against Dortmund, and he revealed that he had been intimated about such a possibility before the game.
The defender added: “I got told either left side centre-back or right-back, so I was just prepared to do both really. I knew quite early that I was going to come on.
“I was quite confident and got told a couple of times about my role before the game. So just mentally preparing, just doing the right things, drinking a lot of water so I didn’t get cramped or anything.”
The Spurs academy graduate confessed that having the experienced Kevin Danso beside him helped him a lot.
When asked about his interactions with Danso on the pitch, Byfield responded: “He’s been brilliant with me the whole time I’ve been with the first team. I just knew going into the game he was going to help me and he was really good with me today.”
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