Academy prospect Kai Enslin spoke to CharltonTV following his first-team debut in Charlton's 1-0 win against Bromley in the Bristol Street Motors Trophy on Tuesday night.
The versatile youngster, who joined the academy ranks at the age of 13, played the entire 90 minutes at The Valley as the Addicks made it three wins from three in the competition.
“I thought the crowd were unbelievable," Enslin said. "I had never played in a game with a big crowd in attendance, so it added a bit of pressure and gave me a bit of adrenaline as well.
“I thought I played well - I was a bit gutted that I didn’t get the goal at the end! I thought that if I keep going and working hard then it would turn out well.
“It feels very good," he added. "My whole family were there and all of the coaches and staff that have helped me throughout my time at Charlton. It made me feel a lot better as I knew everyone was out there watching.”
The 19-year-old, who has starred for Chris Lock's U21s this term, becomes the 1,001st player to represent Charlton professionally.
“It came naturally to me as I have been working towards it throughout my whole time here," he explained. "It was an opportunity for me, and I wanted to take that.
“In the changing rooms I could feel the nerves creeping in, I could feel my hands shaking as well! As I got out there, getting my first few touches on the ball and making a few passes, it gave me a bit of confidence.
"Throughout the academy, you play a lot of different positions and formations where the coaches feed you new information. That made it easier for me to understand what I was going to receive and how to carry that onto the pitch.”
Asked about his best position, Enslin said: “I think I’m most effective at left-back or left wing-back - that was actually my second time playing in the midfield! So maybe getting some more minutes in the midfield would be good for me.”
Charlton fans can support the academy by signing up to the Valley Gold scheme. Valley Gold enables fans to support the club’s academy in unearthing the talents of tomorrow, as well as giving them the chance to win cash prizes.
Click here for more information on how you can become a Valley Gold member.
