Non-League to FA Cup – What Barry Bannan told Ryan Galvin before his Sheffield Wednesday debut and some impressive stats

There were a handful of debuts for Sheffield Wednesday over the weekend, but only one of them managed to earn a starting berth for the Owls.
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Young Ryan Galvin, who will turn 20 at the end of the month, has been progressing nicely through the ranks at Hillsborough since joining from Wigan Athletic last year, and was rewarded for his improvement with a place in Andy Holdsworth’s starting XI at Exeter City.

The left-back hardly put a foot wrong at St James Park, and ended the game having made more successful tackles (5) than any other player on the field – he had a 100% success rate, too.

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On top of that, only three players made more interceptions (3) and only two made more clearances (2) - plus he wasn’t dribbled past even once.

Speaking to the club’s official website after his debut, Galvin said: “It was an enjoyable game to play in. Once I got my first couple of touches out of the way, my confidence started to grow.

“Andy Holdsworth spoke to me before the game and just said to do my job and keep it simple. Normally I would get more forward than I did, but it was important to get the clean sheet.

“Moses Odubajo and Barry Bannan were talking to me before the game. Barry said to not let the opportunity pass me by, so I was thinking that when were we coming out.

Ryan Galvin made his Sheffield Wednesday debut at the weekend. (Pic Steve Ellis)Ryan Galvin made his Sheffield Wednesday debut at the weekend. (Pic Steve Ellis)
Ryan Galvin made his Sheffield Wednesday debut at the weekend. (Pic Steve Ellis)
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“I didn’t want to put too much pressure on myself so I made sure I treated it like a normal game… After the game it was a great feeling. Three years ago I was playing non-league football for Croydon. It felt like I’d come a long way.

“I’ve never had so many messages on my phone! It was a nice feeling to get all the messages from the supporters as well.”

He then went on to add some praise for U23 manager, Lee Bullen, saying, “Bully has been helping me a lot in training with some tips and taking things from his experience.

"Not major things, but little details that have helped me improve into an all-round better player.”

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Galvin will now be hoping to push on further, potentially starting against Coventry City in the Championship this coming weekend.

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