Huddersfield boss Michael Duff lauded West Ham loanee Callum Marshall after the teenager claimed a goal and an assist on his debut in a 3-0 Carabao Cup victory over fourth-tier Morecambe.
After a disappointing loan spell at West Brom last season, the 19-year-old dropped another level to join League One Huddersfield on Friday and made a strong first impression.
Duff said: “I thought he showed what he is: he’s infectious, he’s energetic, he’s got quality.
“He’ll be better for the goal because his last loan didn’t work for him but he’s had a start here already and he’s got a goal.
“He’s shown what we brought him in for. He’s a natural goalscorer and goalscorers are goalscorers.
“He’s struggled in the Championship but it’s a big jump from under-23s football to the top end of the Championship for a young lad.
“He got absolutely smashed 10 foot in the air early on and just got up, so he’s a proper Belfast boy, a tough little sod.
“With respect to Cal, he’s not a household name so the players don’t know who he is and now they’ll be like ‘yeah, he’s not bad him’, which creates competition.
“There were lots of positives and good performances. The disappointment is we’ve dominated the second half and not scored another goal.”
Wing-back Jaheim Headley got the opener just 30 seconds in, chesting home the rebound after Harry Burgoyne saved Lasse Sorensen’s shot.
Sorensen provided again after 38 minutes as his low cross from the right found Marshall at the back post, with the striker’s close-range finish sending the Morecambe keeper the wrong way.
More good work from Marshall produced the third five minutes later. He won a challenge out wide, then unselfishly set up Danny Ward to apply a cool finish.
Huddersfield were unable to make it four in the second half despite Morecambe’s Kayden Harrack being dismissed with 15 minutes to go for a second bookable offence.
Substitute Josh Koroma went closest, hitting a post and then having a stoppage-time one-on-one saved.
Morecambe boss Derek Adams said: “We watched Huddersfield beat Peterborough on Saturday and they’re a Championship side playing in League One. It was always going to be difficult.
“The players worked ever so hard to stop the opposition but they’re at a much higher level than we are and have been together for a number of seasons now.
“I don’t think you’ll see worse goals tonight than the three we gave away and that was really poor from us.
“But it’s the second game of the season, we’ve taken in 17 players in this transfer window, and we’ve come away to a team that want to get back into the Championship.”
