Ghanaian striker Kwesi Appiah is buzzing after making his debut for English side Crystal Palace this week.

Ghanaian striker Kwesi Appiah is buzzing after making his debut for English side Crystal Palace this week.

The former Margate striker made a late substitute appearance in the Eagles’ 1-1 draw at Coventry in front of more than 12,000 fans on Tuesday night.

He said afterwards: “My heart started pumping when the gaffer told me I was going on and I was thinking ‘this is it’.

“It was quite nerve-racking, but once I got my first touch it felt like a normal game.

“It was a great night for me and hopefully the first of many. The gaffer was pleased with me.

“We don’t want to rush things, but I’m ahead of schedule.

“I’ve had so many nice messages on Twitter – the fans have been brilliant.”

The 21-year-old, who joined the Championship club on transfer deadline day for a six-figure sum, made two reserve team appearances for Palace, scoring once, before being named on the bench for Saturday’s match against Peterborough.

He did not get any minutes that day, but was given a five-minute runout for the first team on Tuesday night at the Ricoh Arena.

He added: “When I joined Palace, the plan was to get up to their tempo and make sure I was fit enough.

“I played a couple of reserve games and scored in the second one and I’ve been doing well in training.

“The gaffer has belief in me, he thinks I can be a great player and he trusted me enough to give me a chance at Coventry.

“I’ve had a little taste now and it’s made me hungry to succeed even more.”