Aston Villa star Ezri Konsa reflects on 'shocking' England debut

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Ezri Konsa has reflected on his 'shocking' England debut against Brazil at Wembley Stadium.

Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa has admitted he was shocked to play any minutes whatsoever for England against Brazil, let alone 70, as he made his debut on Saturday night.

Manchester City ace Kyle Walker felt a twinge in his hamstring with just 20 minutes on the clock, allowing Konsa a dream opportunity. Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate could've turned to Liverpool's Joe Gomez but Konsa was the man of the moment, substituted on at right-back.

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England may have lost the game 1-0 but 26-year-old impressed, keeping Real Madrid duo Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo at bay. Endrick made the difference on the night as the 17-year-old netted the winner, becoming the youngest player to score an international goal at Wembley Stadium.

"It’s definitely worth the wait and it's a dream come true - a proud moment,” Konsa told England Football in reflection. "It was shocking to come on that early, but I enjoyed every moment. I thought we were the better team and dominated the ball, but we couldn't score a goal.

Konsa was shocked to play so many minutes for England vs Brazil.Konsa was shocked to play so many minutes for England vs Brazil.
Konsa was shocked to play so many minutes for England vs Brazil. | Wolves via Getty Images

"You see their front four and you see the quality they have got. They always have a lot of talent and we saw that tonight. I’m sure the other boys don't like losing. It’s never a nice feeling and we wanted to win so it’s a mixture of feelings but hopefully I can look back on tonight and see that I have made my debut for England.

"It is crazy, if someone told me years ago I would’ve said you were lying. It is every kid's dream to play in a major tournament, so hopefully I make the squad that goes to Germany," Konsa continued.

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With Walker the first choice and Trent Alexander-Arnold another bound to make it on the plane, Konsa faces tough competition for a place at right-back. His versatility could come in handy, though, as Southgate could utilise him in central defence too.

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