Ola Aina has admitted his Chelsea debut in the EFL Cup second round on Tuesday night was a "dream come true".
The 19-year-old defender, who has risen through the ranks at Chelsea, was handed his competitive debut by coach Antonio Conte in the club's match at home to League One side Bristol Rovers after Aina impressed the Italian in pre-season.
The versatile defender, who can play centrally or on either flank, started Chelsea's International Champions Cup games against Liverpool, Real Madrid and AC Milan, only being brought off against the Serie A side in the second half.
Despite accumulating the sixth-highest number of minutes of all the Chelsea players in pre-season, Aina did not get any game time in Chelsea's opening Premier League matches against West Ham and Watford.
But after starting against Rovers at right back and impressing on his debut for his boyhood club, Aina admitted his appearance at the Bridge on Tuesday was an unforgettable moment.
"It is the best feeling to be there in front of the fans, it is a team I have supported from three years old so it is a dream come true," he told Chelsea TV.
"I wasn’t nervous, I was just excited."
Adding to that on his Instagram account, Aina said: "Nice to be through to the next round of the cup. Also happy to make my full @chelseafc debut, a dream come true for me especially being the team I've supported all my life.
"All the help from my family and friends also everyone at the academy, players and staff you have helped me get this far. I appreciate all the messages and all the support."
Conte praised Aina after Chelsea booked their place in the EFL Cup third round with a 3-2 win over Rovers, but expressed his concern about the defender being forced off the pitch with an injury in the second half.
