Botan Ameen said that he never believed nights like this were possible as he scored on his professional debut for Swindon Town against Bristol Rovers.

During a 4-0 thumping of their local rivals in the Bristol Street Motors Trophy, Ameen nipped in at the near post to nod home from a corner to mark his first senior start with a memorable goal.

After the game, Ameen said that he felt this was something he could only have imagined happening before.

He said: “It is amazing, you work on things like this and you work to achieve things like this from a very young age and I am so glad that it came today.

“To top off getting that first appearance with getting a goal as well is an amazing, amazing feeling.

“It is just something you can’t describe. It is so surreal.

“I am just so amazed that things like this can happen, you dream about it but you never know that it can happen in real life.

“I have trained with the first team quite a lot, I have been put in the group and pushed out of my comfort zone but I think that when I have been up there I have obviously impressed and that is why the manager has given me the chance.

“I am honoured knowing that the manager and the first team staff have full confidence in me, it just makes me want to work harder, keep delivering, and keep improving.

“I just want to impress them even more and hopefully challenge to be part of a league game with the first team.”

Ameen has had a memorable year, scoring twice against Manchester United in the FA Youth Cup, being called up to Iraq Under-19s, and now scoring on his senior debut and the striker said that this game had to top them all.

He said: “I think this definitely has to top it.

“It is such an honour playing professional football and scoring in it as well and then finishing the full game, you can’t wish for anything more.”

Ameen’s goal came as he glanced in Sean McGurk’s corner at the near post and he revealed that that has been something he has been looking to add to his game.

He said: “I have been working on my heading, we [Sean Wood and Ameen] have been saying that I have to get a headed goal this season and we were so surprised that it came today.

“I am very grateful for how he has helped me to improve in all aspects of being a forward player and taking to under-18s level and hopefully now first-team level as well.

“[As the ball came in] I knew the signal to go to the front post and it was good that I just glanced it and didn’t put more force on the ball as it could have gone over.

“I just stayed confident in my ability to flick it into the back of the net and that is what happened.”