Young winger Maleace Asamoah spoke to the club after making his debut for Fleetwood Town this afternoon against his dad’s former side Carlisle United.
It was a day to remember for the 20-year-old as he was called upon by head coach Scott Brown in the last five minutes of normal time in the first game of the season, and almost found the winner late on in the clash against the Cumbrians.
Here’s what Maleace had to say in his interview:
On making his debut and wanting to tell his dad…
“It’s a really big moment for me and my family to make my debut; coming from non-league in the eighth tier, it’s a big step up that not many players get to make so to have done that is a big achievement for me.
“It’s been a delight to work with the gaffer [Scott Brown], especially because he’s got the trust in me to put me in the first game of the season from out of nowhere – I really love playing under his management.
“When I came here today, it was like a surprise because I’ve already been here before as a kid watching my dad play in these very stands. I called him before the game and he’s just said that he’s delighted with me.
“Unfortunately, he couldn’t be here today because he had an FA Cup game, but he’s supported me from afar. He’s 42 and still kicking on in the game so every respect to him for carrying on playing.”
On his rise from non-league to League One…
“The team I played for in non-league was New Salamis – coming from the academy from Reading, it was a new thing going into the non-league setup but, with my dad there, it made things a lot easier.
“We actually made history whilst there as well as we were the first father and son to score in the same game, and assist each other, so that’s a great thing we hold together.
“I was chilling in my room and my dad comes in on the Friday for a League One team on the Sunday so I got up and did a little bit of training the day before and headed straight there on the train.
“It’s blown my mind! Coming from a low division, not many players can get out of those leagues, especially at a young age, but I feel I’ve dealt with it well. There’s a good bunch of lads here so that’s also made it easier.”