Goalkeeper Jack Butland gives his verdict on Crystal Palace debut

Jack Butland says playing his first Premier League game for Crystal Palace was “special” as they came from behind to beat Aston Villa 3-2 at Selhurst Park.

The former Stoke City stopper’s only appearance for the Eagles came in a 1-0 defeat in the FA Cup against Wolves at Molineux back in January.

“The result was the main thing, it was a really good day,” Butland told Palace TV.

“You get those usual nerves you get when you haven’t played for a while. It was my first game for the club in the Premier League, so you have those emotions at the start. But as the match went on I settled in and felt comfortable.

“I really enjoyed it and thankfully we put in a good second-half performance to make the day very special.

“The first goal hit James’s shin on the way through. At first I thought I had it covered but they were two good finishes from them. We gave them a leg up in the game. We were disappointed with the lack of resistance at half time, but in the second half we showed that we weren’t going to let that happen again. I’m glad we redeemed ourselves.

“I found out I was playing yesterday. It’s something I’ve wanted to do [play in the Premier League for Crystal Palace] ever since I’ve joined the club. Fortunately for us as a club, but unfortunately for me, Vicente [Guaita] hasn’t given me the chance to play because he’s been brilliant and arguably the player of the season.

“I’ve continued to work hard, I’ve continued to push. The gaffer has seen that as an opportunity to reward me for the work I’ve been putting in. It was great to get the opportunity and I’m glad it’s resulted in a win.”