Sil Swinkels has said “it will be hard to sleep tonight” after the Dutchman made an immediate impact on his Bristol Rovers debut.
The centre-back, on loan from Premier League side Aston Villa, scored The Gas’ goal in injury time to secure a positive 1-1 draw with play-off chasing Stockport County.
“I Was Just Hoping”
The move to the South West is Swinkels’ first taste of regular senior football, having played just twice for Villa’s senior side as well as some appearances in the academy’s EFL Trophy campaign. Inigo Calderon handed the 21-year-old his debut with 20 minutes left as part of a formation switch from the Spaniard.
Speaking to Bristol Live about his first taste of football in a Rovers shirt, he said:
“I always hoping for it [to get on the pitch]. I’ve always got it in the back of my mind that I’ve got to be ready but obviously defenders don’t normally come on, especially centre-backs. So yeah, I was just hoping for it.
“When I got called over and had to get ready, I didn’t even think of scoring a goal. I just wanted to do my best and show the fans and just leave a good first impression. So to even score as well, it’s just even better.”
“It will be hard to sleep tonight but it was just such a nice feeling when you score that goal. I hardly know how to celebrate because I don’t score that often and if I score it’s in the under-21s. So to see that crowd behind the goal bouncing, it’s just nice to celebrate something with them and give something back with how much time and effort they put into the club and travel and follow us everywhere we go.”
Writer’s View
It was a debut that was largely run of the mill for Sil Swinkels but scoring a last-minute header will have instantly endeared the loanee to Bristol Rovers fans. Players have to take chances when they are handed to them and in this case, the Dutchman has firmly seized the moment. With Inigo Calderon’s willingness to switch the formation around, it would not be much of a surprise to see the 21-year-old again soon and perhaps start in their next game against Burton Albion.
