Midfielder Elliot Thorpe was pleased to get back out onto the pitch as he got valuable minutes under his belt in the Development squad’s 3-1 defeat against Millwall yesterday afternoon.
After joining the club last month, the 20-year-old put on the shirt for the first time and played for an hour, making a good impact and playing a big part in TQ Addy’s goal after a driving run from midfield.
“That’s one of my best attributes,” Thorpe reflected after the match. "Getting the ball deep, running with it, driving past people, I think that’s something that I’m good at. I would have liked to have popped up with a goal, but I’m not at the fitness level that I need quite yet. I have been working hard on the training pitch, putting in the extras, so I’ll get there.”
On the 90 minutes, the midfielder added: “I think it was a good start from the boys, not the result we were looking for in the end, but I don’t the scoreline truly reflected the game. I don’t think it was a 3-1 game, I just think they had a little bit more composure in and around the box, maybe their build-up play was a little bit better than ours but think it was a good performance from the boys.”
Having been in and around the club for the last couple of weeks, he said: “I’m really enjoying it, the first team lads are great, I’m really grateful to the first team lads, the manager and the coaching staff, all of them, everything I’m doing is working to play in the first team for the future.
“I’ve been training with the first team every day, in the first team building, working with them, it's good, they are sharp, and they’re good lads as well, a few funny lads, so I’m enjoying it.”
No stranger to a first team environment after his time with Tottenham Hotspur, Thorpe did add: “There were a few nerves here and there before I went in for the first time, there’s always going to be that, but I'm used to training at a high level, high intensity, so I don’t think I’m miles off it. I need to sharpen up here and there, but I’m feeling good.”