Crystal Palace full-back Nathan Ferguson says he got more joy out of playing for the under-23s against Chelsea this week than he did making his first-team debut against Tottenham on Boxing Day.
The 21-year-old came off the bench at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last month and replaced Tyrick Mitchell for the final ten minutes as the Eagles suffered a 3-0 defeat to Antonio Conte's side.
It was his first appearance in a Palace shirt despite arriving at the club back in July 2020, with injury problems dogging his first 18 months and prohibiting him from getting on the pitch.
That cameo remains Ferguson's only appearance under Patrick Vieira so far this season, but he did enjoy 76 minutes of action for the under-23s on Monday in a 3-2 win against Chelsea.
Palace went 1-0 down to the Blues in the first half but managed to draw level from the penalty spot just after the break courtesy of Nya Kirby.
Ferguson's withdrawal was then followed by three goals in the space of ten minutes, with John-Kymani Gordon and an Alfie Gilchrist own-goal settling the tie in Palace's favour.
Speaking to PalaceTV after the game, Ferguson said he was pleased to have got more minutes under his belt and to continue his journey to full fitness.
“I’m so thankful to have made it through,” he said. “It was a very tough journey. I can only be grateful, I can only be pleased. You can see out there my passion – I’m so happy to be back.
“I’ll be honest, I was grateful, but I didn’t feel this happy about the Spurs one. I’m going to be honest, I didn’t. But here it felt like I played – I properly sweated in a Palace shirt, I’ve soaked it in!"
Ferguson's return to fitness has been a long-time coming, with the 21-year-old having made the decision to join Palace from West Bromwich Albion a full 18 months ago.
The right-back has endured several injury setbacks since he came to south London, first arriving with a serious knee injury before a separate thigh issue delayed his return further. An Achilles tear in 2021 then meant even longer on the sidelines before he finally joined Vieira's training sessions in November.
“I’m very happy for my family, because they’ve seen me so down that it’s been a rough time for them as well, and my friends," said Ferguson when speaking about his injury setbacks since arriving in SE25.
"My teammates have actually been with me through the whole situation, even the ones that have moved on now. I can only say thank you.”
