Devenny looks back on his Palace debut day
Justin Devenny admitted to a ‘bittersweet moment’ after making his Crystal Palace debut in the defeat to Fulham.
The 21-year-old midfielder played his first competitive minutes for the Eagles on Saturday afternoon, having previously featured in friendly matches against Bodø/Glimt in March, and Wolverhampton Wanderers in August.
Devenny was named in the starting XI for the London derby and acquitted himself well during his 74 minutes on the pitch, earning numerous rounds of applause from the Selhurst Park crowd.
“I enjoyed every moment,” Devenny said. “You can't not enjoy moments like that.
“At the end of the day, it is bittersweet, because right now it's raw and I'm just looking at the result.
“But maybe I'll go back and reflect on it and see what I can improve in my game, what I've done well in my game. And obviously, I just want to keep building on this.”
Having previously played senior football in Scotland with Airdrieonians before joining Palace in August 2023, the midfielder admitted to enjoying the build-up to a landmark occasion in his fledgling career: a Premier League debut for the Eagles.
“I found out [I would be starting] during the week, but only 100% found out… I think it was Friday,” Devenny told Palace TV. “As soon as I knew that, I just couldn't hide the smile on my face.
“It was a bittersweet moment because obviously I'm grateful, and it's such a great achievement for myself, but it's hard to look past the result right now.
“It’s what you dream of, and to have obviously the great supporters behind us as well, it's always good. Again, as I said, it's hard to look past the result and that's just what's playing on my mind now – but I'm sure I will reflect and look back on this.”
Reflecting on the game as a whole, Devenny added: “It was a game where I thought we did have enough chances, but I do think maybe the quality wasn't quite what we wanted it to be in the final third and around the box.
“Even myself, [I] had an opportunity, there was an opportunity where I could have shot as well.
“We'll look back and reflect. We know as a team that we can do better, and we can only just improve on it.
“It’s always good to have the fans behind you for the full 90 minutes. We just need to keep building on it.”