Mason Bennett can look forward to half-term with relish after getting his teenage kicks re-writing Derby County's record books.
But there will be no chance for the 15-year-old sensation to put his feet up and reflect on his small part in football folklore just yet, thanks to Nigel Clough.
Bennett had been denied a debut last Tuesday due to the late return home from Reading and the need to be in class the next morning.


But this time there was nothing standing in his way - it was the weekend after all and, with the holidays upon us, it was not a school night.
However well the teenager did on his league bow - and his was a 78-minute display of rich promise from the England youth international forward who has caught the eye of Manchester City - it was a stand-out show of goalkeeping from Middlesbrough's Jason Steele that proved the difference between the promotion rivals.
At 21, Steele is a veteran next to Bennett who, aged 15 years and 99 days, became Derby's youngest ever player from Lee Holmes, who had held the mark since 2002.
A fifth game without a win for Clough's injury-ravaged side was offset by the promise of things to come from Bennett.
Explaining his selection, Clough said: 'Sometimes as a one-off you throw in something a bit different. I thought it was a very mature debut from him.
'He's a young player we're very excited about. He didn't actually travel with us last night because he was a bit under the weather yesterday, so he came up this morning and found out he was playing just before two o'clock.
'He won't be involved every week - that's a bit too much to expect - but the odd time when we're short, as we are at the moment, we'll get him involved.
The more experience he gets the better he'll be for it. He took it all in his stride, he's that type of lad. He'll be back in training with the Under-18s on Monday because it's half-term so he's off school.'



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