Academy forward Jack Richards made a surprise first-team debut in Maidstone’s defeat at Chelmsford.

The 16-year-old looked bright in a 10-minute cameo and while United lost 3-0, it was a day he won’t forget.

He said: “It was hard to come on in a game like that, especially when you’re chasing it but I’m grateful I’ve been brought on and it was still good to play in front of all the travelling fans.

“Even though it was a defeat, I’ll still remember it for a long time. I wasn’t expecting to come on.

“It was much harder than academy football, walking on to the pitch against someone who's 6ft 4in and three times the size of me but the other players have helped me a lot.

“They’re always encouraging me, so it makes me feel better about myself and more confident.”

It’s been quite a year for Richards, who scored a hat-trick in the game that saw United’s academy clinch the Conference Youth Alliance title last month.

There were a few nerves when Jay Saunders initially invited him to train with the first team but the teenager soon found his feet.

Richards said: “I’ve been on the bench twice before and around the first team.

“I’ve trained with them for a while, so I’ve settled in nicely.

“I was a bit intimidated when I started but they’ve all been good with me.

“They’ve been telling me to play without nerves, just get on your game, get in your zone and you’ll be fine.”

Read the full interview with Jack Richards in Friday's Kent Messenger