Dewsbury-Hall's Leicester Debut Delight

- Academy graduate Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall made his Leicester City debut on Saturday
- The young Foxes midfielder was introduced in the 68th minute of the 1-0 win at Brentford in the Emirates FA Cup Fourth Round
- Dewsbury-Hall described the 'exciting' moment Brendan Rodgers signalled for his introduction
- The 21-year-old also thanked the Blue Army for a 'special' reception at Griffin Park

In the 68th minute at Griffin Park, Dewsbury-Hall, 21, replaced goalscorer Kelechi Iheanacho to help City secure a place in the fifth round of the Emirates FA Cup.

For Dewsbury-Hall, who joined the Academy at the age of eight after growing up in Shepshed, it was a special occasion and the culmination of over a decade of dedication.

"I’m so happy, I’m over the moon!" the midfielder told LCFC TV. "I’ve been at the Club since I was eight, this is my boyhood club, and I’ve worked so hard to get to this point.

"So, it’s just an honour to be able to play for this club and I’m grateful for everyone that’s helped me along the way and hopefully this is just the beginning.

"I’m so proud, really. I’ve had to be patient and finally the day has come where I can say that I’ve made my debut. Hopefully, it’s the first of many."

Explaining the moment Foxes manager Brendan Rodgers signalled for his introduction, Dewsbury-Hall said it meant more considering the fraught nature of the tie.

Rodgers trusted the Club's 2018/19 Development Squad Player of the Season to do his job in the middle in testing circumstances as the Bees chased a late equaliser. 

"It was exciting," he continued. "Obviously, it was a tough game, they were playing quite well and they were still in the game.

"The fact that he still had faith in me to come on and show what I can do was really pleasing and gave me confidence going onto the pitch.

"We came here knowing that Brentford are on good form, they’re a good team and we knew it was going to be a tough test.

"So, to come here and keep a clean sheet and get a 1-0 win is really pleasing, going into the next round, and we’re all happy."

Dewsbury-Hall was also elated by the response he received from the supporters in the away end, and said: "They were great all day, they were singing for the whole 90 minutes.

"It’s really special to know they care about young lads coming on and making their debut and hopefully starting a career at Leicester."