Ethan Horvath was the hero for Sheffield Wednesday against Leeds United, but was quick to praise his young teammates.
Horvath came up trumps in the Yorkshire derby on Tuesday night, making some big saves to keep Leeds United at bay over the course of the 90 minutes, before making two massive saves in the penalty shootout as the Owls secured progression into the next round of the Carabao Cup.
Beating Leeds would’ve been an achievement regardless of who took to the field in blue and white, but the fact that Horvath and Jamal Lowe were the only players over the age of 20 made it even more impressive. And the goalkeeper acknowledged that in his post-match interview, saying that the way the kids performed was ‘unbelievable to see’.
“We knew going into it that it was going to be a tough match,” he told Sky Sports. “But all credit to the boys in front of me, we dug in 96 minutes, and I couldn’t be prouder of the boys - honestly.
Ethan Horvath’s pride in the youth
“At 1-1 I knew they were going to push, and that I’d have to come up with a save or two, but all credit to the boys. This young team… I’ve only been in for a couple of days, and to see the youth, and how hungry they were, how relentless they were, it’s unbelievable to see. Yes, I did my part, but they also did theirs.”
It’s been quite the first week for the 30-year-old, who had a baptism of fire the day after his arrival away at Wrexham, before being thrown into a very young side at Hillsborough. It’s one way of getting to know people, at least.
“For the first game against Wrexham I had to learn 10 names,” he said with a smile, when talking to the club. “Now tonight I had to learn 10 more! But no, it was a top game, and the young defenders did brilliantly. When you play a team of this calibre from the Prem you know they have a lot of offensive attacking players who are quick, with a lot of movement and rotation. So it was just about constant communication, and they did brilliantly.”
Horvath will be back in action this weekend, now, as attentions turn to Swansea City and the Championship, and the American will no doubt be looking to build on his midweek performance ahead of what is sure to be another tough game for the Owls.
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