Bailey Akehurst was living the dream after making his Football League debut at Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday and wasn’t even born the last time Gillingham played there.

The left-back only turned 18 a month ago and is still part of the Gills youth team, hoping to earn a pro deal at the end of his second year scholarship. A sound debut infront of 20,000 fans and a rousing reception from those away fans who travelled suggests he won’t have a problem getting that contract.

Gillingham’s previous visit to Hillsborough was in December 2002, winning that day 2-0 - their only success at the stadium. Akehurst helped them claim a point in the weekend League 1 clash, supplying the free-kick that led to Gills’ goal in a 1-1 draw.

Akehurst also had the daunting job of trying to contain Wednesday’s exciting forward Theo Corbeanu, a player on loan from Wolves with every trick in the locker. The youngster was dead on his legs by the time he was substituted on 70 minutes and walked off the pitch to a standing ovation from the away end.

Speaking about the experience, the Medway-born youngster said: “As a young kid coming through the academy you always dream of these moments, making your debut and Hillsborough wasn’t an easy place to do it, but I am really proud and honoured.

“I was buzzing to have played in the cup games but the next step was getting a league appearance and I was thankful for the gaffer to give me an opportunity. It was tough (up against Corbeanu) and he made my night difficult but I know what I can do defensively and I back myself. I got tired before I came off but I was happy. I thought I did well against him.

“The (reaction from the away fans) was unbelievable. Coming through the academy you dream of things like that, as a young kid, to hear my name being chanted gave me goosebumps, I loved it.”

Akehurst joined his boyhood club as a 12-year-old following spells with Chelsea and Charlton Athletic academies. He watched on as another Kent lad Jack Tucker progressed through before making it as a regular in Gills’ defence.

That gave him hope and playing alongside Tucker on Saturday made his life easier.

He said: “Having Tucks at centre-half makes it so much easier for me, I was worried, do I do this or that? But he made my game really easy, I thank him for that.

“Seeing him go through the academy made me feel it was possible to do it myself and I hope I can follow his footsteps at Gillingham.”

Akehurst got the nod to start on Saturday after a series of injuries left them short but he’s grasped the opportunity.

He could have been playing away at MK Dons in the Youth Alliance League on Saturday had he not been needed for the first team. Gills’ under-18s won 1-0 at Dons’ training ground. Just recently he captained the youth team at Sutton United’s Gander Green Lane in the FA Youth Cup. Gills were beaten that night.

Hillsborough was an experience he won’t ever forget.

“I am just buzzing,” he said. “I am just trying to let it all sink in.

“I knew there was a chance I could have started and when I arrived I settled in, I thought, ‘it’s Hillsborough, a massive stadium and a big crowd’, but I was more nervous coming out for the second half because I thought I had done well in the first. I needed to keep that performance up and I was absolutely buzzing.”

Akehurst was gutted his parents weren’t at the game - they broke down on the M1.

He said: “I got a text off them saying that last minute they would be coming up then I got another call saying the car had broken down! It was gutting they couldn’t have been there but my sister made it and that was nice, so at least one of them got to see me play.”

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