Fulham defender reflects on time at 'proper club' Chesterfield
Devan Tanton as spoken positvely about his loan spell at Chesterfield.
The young right-back joined on a season-long loan from Fulham but struggled with injuries and returned to his parent club in January. It was a shame for the defender, who has been capped by Colombia, because he showed plenty of potential in his short time at the Blues.
“It was a very good experience,” he said. “I felt a lot of confidence from the manager and everybody there was wanting me to do well. It came down to availability and I wasn’t able to keep fit.
“The fans were so passionate. The whole town supports Chesterfield and you felt that every weekend. It’s a proper club with a big following.
“My debut was against Swindon and they had a striker (Harry Smith) who was 6ft 6in. Their game plan was to hit him and of course he started to edge his way towards me, the 5ft 9in full-back. It was a fun introduction to League Two!”
He continued: “I’m no stranger to going somewhere different and testing myself. I’ve done it in Spain, I’ve done it when I came here and now I’ve done it on loan. Men’s football is a whole different ball game and I’m excited to play it again soon.
“You go on loan looking to prove yourself, but it was a bit stop-start for me. That’s been a bit frustrating because I know what I can prove, so I’m channelling that frustration into working back to my best level in what is left of this season.”
Tanton is now back to full fitness, playing for Fulham’s under-21s, grabbing an assist just six minutes into his return against Everton.
“I’ve found it good to get going again,” he added. “I think I’m working back towards what I do best.”