Ryan Naderi described his international debut for the Czech Republic as the 'biggest game of his life' after appearing as a second-half substitute in Saturday's 3-1 loss to Spain.
The Rangers striker saw a goal disallowed by the referee, denying him a dream debut strike, but he remains hopeful of being included from the start when Czechia face England in the Nations League at Wembley on Tuesday.
Qualification and debut path
The 23-year-old was born and raised in Germany but also qualifies to represent Czechia and Bulgaria through his parents.
Naderi was sought out by Czech legend and 2003 Ballon D'Or winner Pavel Nedved. After a delay in obtaining the necessary paperwork, he was eventually given the green light to make his debut against Spain on Saturday.
Disallowed goal and reaction
With his side trailing 2-1, the Gers frontman looked to have levelled things up following a dreadful mistake from Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya, only for the goal to be chalked off because of a foul on the edge of the box.
Despite that, Naderi still insists pulling on the Repre shirt for the first time against the World and European champions was like something out of a fairytale.
Speaking to local media after the game, he said: "What's been happening in the last few days is a bit of a fairy tale. It's really great to be here. You have to have confidence in yourself, but these are big steps for me overall and I'm grateful that it's all happening."
"It was incredible. It was amazing to be on the field in a game like that, the biggest game of my life for sure. It was tough, but I tried to enjoy it as much as I could."
Looking ahead to England clash
On his disallowed goal, Naderi added: "Unfortunately, the referee blew the whistle quite quickly, so there was no chance to enjoy it for too long."
"It's a shame. I'll keep working hard and hope for the next match."
