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. 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.
Nathan Ferguson said: “I’m so thankful to have made it through. 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.
Nathan Ferguson said: “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. 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.”
