Sunderland's American midfielder Lynden Gooch has told The Guardian he always felt he could make the grade in the Premier League.
Gooch, born in California to a British father and an Irish mother, was selected by Black Cats boss David Moyes for the opening game of the season, a 2-1 defeat at Manchester City, and has been in the lineup ever since.
The 20-year-old found out that he was to make his debut against Pep Guardiola's City 24 hours before the game and said: "I knew I was good enough from a young age.