Crawley Town debutant knows 'chance will come' to impress in League Two after feeling 'sharp and fit' in EFL Trophy

Adeyemo, 25, came on as a late substitute as Sutton held the Reds to a goalless draw at the VBS Community Stadium. The forward confidently scored his penalty in the resulting shootout but the hosts came out on top – earning an extra point in the group stage – after Harry Forster became the only player to miss.

On his own performance, Adeyemo said: “I’ll be honest, I had nerves coming into it.

"Once I got on there, felt the ball and felt myself. I made my debut in front of family and friends as well. It’s positive for me.”

Adeyemo impressed in a pre-season friendly against East Grinstead Town before picking up an injury against Dover Athletic.

The Denmark-born forward hasn’t featured since then – we admitted was ‘definitely tough to come to terms with’.

"When it happened, I knew for a while I would be out,” he said. “I tried to stay positive and come back stronger. I feel I have thanks to people around me and the gaffer supporting me. I am grateful I was able to play today.”

Adeyemo said he ‘felt great’ on the pitch, adding: “I didn’t feel as tired as I thought I would. I felt proper sharp and fit.

"I really enjoyed it out there. I can’t wait [to play in the league]. I’m absolutely buzzing.

"It’s a very long season so my chance will come. I’m proper excited about that. I can’t wait to get going again.”

Having represented Fisher, Beckenham Town, Hayes & Yeading and Cray Valley Paper Mills. Adeyemo featured for Cray Valley on 39 occasions last season, scoring 15 goals in the process.

Adeyemo featured as a trialist for the Red Devils during pre-season before signing a contract with the club.

He said he is enjoying working with manager Scott Lindsey.

"It’s been great when we had the first conversation in the summer until now,” he said. “He’s given me confidence. He really believes in me.

"It’s big step from where I’ve come from. I feel I can do really well under him. I’m excited for the season.

"I feel we can go all the way. We’ve had a great start. A lot of people were writing us off but the football we play, you can see for yourself.

"It’s fun to watch, it’s lovely. It’s a beautiful game. I feel we can really go all the way.”

Lindsey was pleased with how Adeyemo performed at Sutton.

He said: “Ade is great player and has a load of ability. He can shift it to the left and to the right. We practised penalties yesterday and he stuck it in the top corner with his left boot. He’s a really confident player and someone who is going to be really exciting to watch in the future.”

Speaking when the winger first arrived at the club, Lindsey said: “Ade is a player that got flagged up to me by a friend of mine who I know and trust. We had him in at training briefly at the end of last season, where he impressed, so I invited him back for the start of this season.

"He has really impressed me in this pre-season. He has got raw talent with plenty of goals in him. He can use both feet when shooting, and the lad has got a very powerful shot on him. He can play out wide and as a number ten, so he is very versatile, and I am delighted to have him on board.

“He stands out in some actions and you stand back and think ‘this kid has got so much raw ability’. He’s a special player Ade and I think he is going to have a really good career.”