Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech says playing their kids at Europa League opponents Red Star Belgrade was the right move.
Rob Holding, 22, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, 20, Reiss Nelson, 17 and Jo Willock, 18, started in the Serbian capital — while Ben Sheaf, 19, and Marcus McGuane, 18, came on for late cameos.
Cech started his first game in Europe this season and kept Red Star at bay before Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud popped up with a late winner.
And he told The Sun: “It really did feel like a Champions League game. The crowd in Belgrade made it so special.
“This was a perfect game for the young players because it was the hardest game we've faced in the Europa League and we had a whole bench of young boys and we had four of them playing again. They did really well.
“They're lucky in a way that the boss gave them confidence in playing them in matches like this. It is a big game.
“It's a European competition and we want to, as a club, ideally win it like Manchester United did if possible.
“For them to get the trust of the manager is very important."
Source: tribalfootball.com