Nketiah keen ‘to build on’ Palace debut day
Eddie Nketiah says he was pleased with the start he made in a Crystal Palace shirt – but that there is plenty more to come.
Palace’s newest No. 9 – a deadline-day arrival from Arsenal – made his first appearance in the red and blue against Leicester City on Saturday and was a lively presence throughout, often dropping deep and coming close to scoring on several occasions.
While the Eagles in the end required a stoppage-time penalty from Jean-Philippe Mateta to claim a 2-2 draw and a point, Nketiah saw both positives and negatives in the display.
The forward told Palace TV: “I'm really happy to make my debut, [but] really disappointed not to get the three points.
“I think the team pushed, we had some good chances, we deserved it, so yes, I think it's a good start, and one to build on. There's more to come for myself, and definitely more to come from the team.
“I felt good. Obviously it's my first 90 minutes in quite a while, so it was good to get back out there. Like I said, I'm nowhere near at my best, I know I'm going to keep getting better, and I'm sure I can help the team as things go on.
“[We made] a disappointing start, but I think it [coming back] showed the character. We kept going, even when we came back out and conceded after half-time. I think we all rallied each other up.
“I tried to keep everyone positive because I knew the way we were playing, we're going to create chances, we're going to get goals. Like I said, obviously it’s not the ideal three points, but we'll build on it, we'll take the point, and make sure we're better next game.”
On his first fortnight at Palace, Nketiah added: “It’s been really enjoyable for myself. I've been really pushed physically to keep improving, keep getting fitter, and yes, it was really nice to be at Selhurst Park and on the receiving end of the fans’ support this time.
“I was lively today and I could do a lot more, and with the support of the fans, I'm sure I'll reach the levels I know I can get to.”