GOALKEEPER Kieren Flavell was delighted to make his senior debut for Barnsley in midweek and repay the club for sticking by him throughout years of injuries.

The 21-year-old from Pontefract, who has been at Oakwell since he was eight, played in the EFL Trophy game with Doncaster Rovers on Tuesday which ended in a 3-1 loss.

He has injured the ACL ligaments in his knee twice, missing a total of two and a half years.

Flavell told the Chronicle: “It’s really good.

“It’s something I have been working towards for a long time.

“I owe a lot to Barnsley for keeping faith in me.

“Sometimes when players get injuries, you can fall by the wayside or get forgotten about. The club had a lot of faith in me and I owe them this (his debut).

“I had friends, family, my girlfriend and her parents all at the game – a lot of people who have been with me from the start and seen all the hard work and tears.”

Flavell, who has recently returned from a brief loan at seventh-tier Mickleover, is one of several goalkeepers at the club.

USA international Gaga Slonina, who is younger than Flavell, has just been replaced in the first team net by Ben Killip while Jackson Smith has returned from a loan at Grimsby.

Flavell said: “We have a lot of good goalkeepers, who are all wanting the same thing.

“It’s about performing to your best. Obviously timing and patience is key.

“Making my debut has just made me hungry for more games.

“Hopefully my next appearance is in the league or the FA Cup.

“It’s a good taste.

“I was nervous for the first five or ten minutes but I thought I did quite well after that.”

On the game in general, Flavell said: “I don’t think we performed to our potential and that was made clear at half-time and full-time.

“We conceded a suckerpunch just before half-time and 0-0 would have flattered us.

“We have to react better.”