Corey Panter has revealed he was only told he’d be making his Dundee debut against Forfar 90 minutes before kick-off on Saturday.
Amid confusion over self-isolating players following a positive Covid case at Dens Park, the first-team squad was stretched for their final Premier Sports Cup group game.
A recent arrival on loan from Luton Town, defender Panter admits he thought he may have a chance of a first run-out in dark blue with numbers low.
But it wasn’t until he saw his name on the team sheet that he realised he’d be on from the start.
And quite a game it was too for the 20-year-old.
Starting at left-back, Panter was only there for 17 minutes before Liam Fontaine had to be substituted.
That saw the young defender move into central defence for the remainder of the game.
And he even got himself a debut goal, popping up in the right place at the right time to fire in a right-foot shot from a corner.
That was just one of the seven goals scored in a real show of attacking football at Dens Park.
‘Good start’
“It was my first competitive goal,” he said.
“It is nice to get one every so often and nice to get off to a good start.
“I only knew I was starting an hour or 90 minutes before kick-off.
“I came in on Saturday and was told I was starting. It is always nice to see your name on the board.
Debut✅ Win ✅ Goal✅ https://t.co/vxE5E8Qa7z
— Corey Panter (@PanterCorey) July 24, 2021
“I thought I had a chance to start but you don’t really want to see people with Covid to get my chance. I hope they are well but it was good to start.
“It was a good chance for me and I thought I did OK.
“Hopefully, I can build on this going into the new season.”
‘I want to prove how good I am’
Panter joined the Dark Blues for the first day of pre-season. However, that was only on a trial basis while Dens boss James McPake considered bringing the defender north of the border for a season-long loan.
Two weeks passed and the young defender convinced the Dundee management he’d be a good addition for their return to the Premiership.
And Panter is hoping to pick up as much experience as possible in his time at Dens.
I just want to get experience and to get games under my belt to prove to people how good I am, what I can do and achieve,” he said.
“Hopefully, I can catch the eye of the Luton manager and to see how far I can push myself.
“I came up for a week to see how I got on. I must have done OK because I caught the eye of the manager and now I am staying for the season.
“It has been a tough pre-season compared to Luton but it has been a good one.
“I’ve learned a lot. There has been much more running and the intensity was high.
“It has been a hard pre-season.”
– 12 points
– 11 goalsThrough to the next round of the Premier Sports Cup #thedee pic.twitter.com/MGYZW9j6qI
— Dundee Football Club (@DundeeFC) July 25, 2021
Panter added: “The secretary at Luton told me pre-season wouldn’t be as tough as down there because of the cup games.
“He was certainly wrong with that!
“When I get back I will need to put him right.
“You always come out the other side better.”
Welcome
Panter also says the welcome he received from the Dundee squad made a big difference as he aims to make a mark on top-flight Scottish football.
Having already had a couple of loan spells from Luton at non-league sides Hendon and Biggleswade Town, Panter knows this season will be a step up for him.
However, he’s been impressed by the standards within the Dens Park squad.
“I would say there isn’t much difference in quality to Luton,” he said.
“I have come in and the boys have really welcomed me. The togetherness is brilliant and sometimes that will help.
“I think they have lost two games in 17 and that togetherness carried them through.
“Now we have 12 points from 12 in the League Cup and you can’t ask for much more.
“Hopefully we can take that momentum into the first game of the season.”
Dundee get their Premiership return under way on Saturday at home to St Mirren.