ReactionInterview: Vitezslav Jaros shares the inside story of his Liverpool debut at Palace
Vitezslav Jaros knew he had to remain cool, calm and collected the moment it was clear he was about to make his competitive debut for Liverpool.
When Alisson Becker fell to the turf late in the second half against Crystal Palace on Saturday with an injury, Jaros would be called upon to help preserve the Reds' clean sheet and 1-0 advantage, given to them by Diogo Jota.
The Czech goalkeeper, who spent part of last season on loan at Sturm Graz, can consider it a job well done as Arne Slot's side held on to maintain their place at the top of the Premier League.
Afterwards, the 23-year-old spoke to Liverpoolfc.com to reflect on a whirlwind afternoon – read on for his insight…
Congratulations, your Liverpool debut in the bag. Talk us through the emotions...
Brilliant feeling, it's something you dream of as a kid. Obviously it was a bit stressful as a 'keeper coming on towards the end there, especially in a game like this when it was up and down towards the end. But I managed to keep a clean sheet and we managed to get the three points. Brilliant.
What did the head coach and the coaching staff say to you as you prepared to come on?
Not much really and I think it's better because your head is racing already. Everyone around is going, 'There's your shirt, put your shin pads on' and all this. They didn't say much and I think it's better.
You didn't really have a warm-up, so how do you get yourself into that mindset to deal with what's coming?
You have to and it's about finding your concentration and get straight in. I think probably because they had a set-piece straight away and they were on top of us a little bit for the first five minutes I came on, it helped me get in the game a bit quicker.
Tell us about your pride in achieving a clean sheet...
I mean, as everyone else in the team, we all work hard on a daily basis. Personally, it's a great reward to come on and be able to get my debut.
Have you had a chance yet to check your phone and see the reaction?
Loads of messages but I've not read them yet. I just saw my phone was going off when the gaffer was giving his speech.
Finally, do you feel ready if called upon moving forward?
Yeah, definitely. I went on a few loans in the past, which I think got me ready and I've played quite a few games now. I'm ready, I'm available to play whenever.
This article has been automatically translated and, while all reasonable efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, some errors in translation are possible. Please refer to the original English-language version of the article for the official version.