Manchester City goalkeeper Stefan Ortega has shared his delight at making his debut in the 0-0 draw with Borussia Dortmund.
The German goalkeeper was handing a starting place for the Champions League clash against Dortmund last night, having played a substitute role since his arrival in the summer.
With Manchester City having already qualified for the knockout stages, it provided Pep Guardiola with a chance to change things up and he did that in goal, bringing in Ortega for Ederson.
It proved to be a happy evening for the 29-year-old, who kept a clean sheet and was solid in the 0-0 draw.
He is now hoping for more playing time in the coming months, which is likely if Guardiola continues to rotate his squad when the schedule is more packed later in the season.
For now, he’s just reflecting on his first appearance for Manchester City and the experience so far.
“There was a different tension than I’m used to,” he told RTL.
“But for me as a German not far from Bielefeld to play my first game here, it’s not such a bad backdrop.
“It was a good appreciation for me today, for my training performance and for the way I am at home. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have done it.
“I can only keep stepping on the game. I’ve been taking it slow, but I’m settled in, acclimatised. I can enjoy it, everything’s good.
“I’ve lived it (my dream) before. I’ve experienced fantastic things, some good things and a few bad things. This is not a typical career path, but it shows that if you just stick with it and work that you can be rewarded in the end.
“I’m positively surprised but we feel super comfortable and so far, we’ve done everything right.”