Caleb Wiley and Nathan Baxter react to Millwall defeat.
Caleb Wiley characterised his return to first-team action as “a long time coming” after making his season debut in a 1-0 defeat at Millwall.
Wiley appeared ten times for the Hornets on loan from Chelsea last season and signed for another year this summer, but has been sidelined with back and adductor ailments.
The USA international came on as a second-half substitute on Monday and came close to equalising when he tapped in Nestory Irankunda’s long-range attempt in south London.
He told the club’s website, “Once I saw Nestory wind up and shoot, I knew the custodian wasn’t going to catch it, and there was going to be a rebound somewhere, so I had to be the first one there.”
“It was difficult to get my leg around the ball, which was bad. “I’m still rusty, and there are some things I could have done better, but I know that comes with time and gaming experience, so I’m not concerned.
“I’ve been eager to get back out on the pitch as it’s been a few months, but it was unfortunate for the result.” If you count Wiley, Watford had four debutants on Monday night, including custodian Nathan Baxter.
The summer signing was introduced when Egil Selvik was replaced at halftime due to a concussion, with Paulo Pezzolano stating after the game that the Norwegian will take some tests but appeared to be fine.
Egil Selvik suffered a concussion at Millwall(Image: PA)
Baxter was not called upon very often after the break, but he was glad to be participating for the first time.
He stated, “I’ve been training pretty hard and feel ready. “It was good to come on, but it’s difficult to draw positives from a game where we didn’t get any points.
“It’s not easy coming off the bench, but Alex [Brunner] and Sacha [Lanchi] warmed me up and kept me ready.
“As a custodian, you’re not used to coming on as a substitute. I’ve only done it once before. “I’ve tried to maintain my composure and work extremely hard every day.
“It would have been lot nicer if we had scored the equaliser and saw the crowd celebrate after taking something from here. “It’s nice from a personal perspective to play but disappointing overall.”
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