West Ham midfielder Ollie Scarles wore his heart on his sleeve after making his first-team debut in Thursday's 3-0 win over FCSB.
The Hammers had already qualified from their Europa Conference League group ahead of their trip to Romania, which saw manager David Moyes rest 14 senior players.
Among those given a chance were midfielder Scarles, who lasted the full 90 minutes after putting in an accomplished performance.
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He spoke to BT Sport post-match alongside Ben Johnson, who also came through the West Ham academy. His enthusiasm was infectious.
When asked how it felt to make his debut for the club, Scarles replied: "Oh amazing. It was just a surreal experience, just to make my debut and be with these boys.
"Yesterday and today has been an amazing experience and something every kid dreams of honestly."
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The midfielder went on to reveal he didn't know he was starting until a training drill on Wednesday.
He continued: "It was Wednesday morning when we'd done the first training session and (Moyes) sent a few of my lot to do finishing practice. Then we had the 11 starting that were starting in positional practice and I was in that, and honestly my heart dropped!
"I was like 'oh my god, I'm starting'. It was mental."
A Pablo Fornals and own goal from FCSB defender Joyskim Dawa was enough for victory.
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Scarles went on to reveal his parents were in the crowd at the National Arena in Bucharest.
The teenager concluded: "I need to go and see them. They'll be really proud. I was texting my dad before the game and I don't know if he could believe it either! They'll both be buzzing as much as I am."
Fellow academy graduate Divin Mubama was given a start up front, while Freddie Potts, Keenan Appiah-Forson, Kamarai Swyer and Kaelan Casey came off the bench.
Moyes told reporters at full-time: "I thought both Ollie and Divin played very well. I thought Ollie did exceptional in his first start. He made chances and had a few opportunities.
"He created a great chance for Divin in the first half and then put one of the crosses in for one of the goals as well, so I’m pleased for him. He’s only 16 so he’s got a lot to do yet, but that’s a good start for him.
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"I’ve given a lot of 16-year-olds their debuts in my career but I want them to keep stepping up. If they think this is as far as it goes – this is only the beginning. They have to start somewhere though.
"For example, Ollie didn’t let us down at all in his role. He physically ran out of gas with about 20 minutes to go and we could have taken him off and we thought about it. But I think, for a 16-year-old, he did great."
Featured Image Credit: BT SportTopics: West Ham United, Europa Conference League
