Callum McFadzean started in 2-1 win at AFC Wimbledon

Callum McFadzean’s first appearance in a Stevenage shirt has impressed Boro boss Teddy Sheringham.

The winger was brought into the club from Sheffield United at the end of November but had to wait until this weekend to make his debut for the club due to injury.

He had recovered in time from a hamstring problem to start against AFC Wimbledon, and he lasted just under an hour on the left wing before being replaced by Armand Gnanduillet in the 2-1 victory.

Speaking about the debutant, Sheringham said: “He’s worked really hard to get fit. Coming in from Sheffield United he had a slight hamstring so he’s done a lot of work to show he’s been fit.

“We knew he was going to tire. We had a look and saw him stretching his calf/hamstring early in the second half.

“Gnanduillet came on and worked hard and gave us a little bit more in what we had out there.

“I thought [Callum] in the first 25 minutes looked a real presence and very dynamic. I felt he tired a little bit but that’s a young boy coming in to try and make an impression.

“Sometimes I can remember being a young lad like that and wanting to make an impression. Sometimes you blow yourself out of steam and that’s what he did today.”

The decision to replace McFadzean also saw a move out to the left for Tom Pett, with Boro deploying Gnanduillet up top alongside Jamille Matt.

And having two out-and-out strikers to occupy the Wimbledon backline saw them boss their opponents at times.

Sheringham added: “You’ve got to make decisions at important times and last week [at Yeovil] I’m not sure I did.

“This week it was a situation that needed the ball being held up there. It needed getting about people, being stronger than the opposition in the way the game was going.

“It was just a horrible game to watch. We just had to be a little bit stronger, show a bit more desire. I felt we showed that.

“I didn’t like the way we played in the first half, but in the second half we played to the conditions and played as a team and I was delighted we came out with the three points.”