One of two players to make their Leeds United debuts in Monday's FA Cup clash against Arsenal, we caught up with goalkeeper Illan Meslier to discuss his first appearance for the Whites.

Despite a 1-0 scoreline, over 6 million tuned in as Leeds dominated the first half, with fans of both sides particularly impressed with the 19-year-old's performance.

Congratulations on your debut Illan, what was it like to make your debut in the FA Cup against Arsenal?

"It was unbelievable! I couldn't be happier to start for such a great club like Leeds United.  Then to make my debut against Arsenal, a good Premier League team, was a very proud moment for me personally. I feel that even though we lost the game, the whole team can hold our heads high after the performance we showed."

When did you first find out that you were going to start?

"I was actually in the changing room at Thorp Arch when Marcelo Bielsa was doing his press conference. Mateusz Klich turned to me and said that it had been officially announced that I would be starting against Arsenal. Again it was just a massive privilege and I was walking around so happy."

Not a bad place to make your debut at The Emirates Stadium, and also against some old teammates...

"It's an unbelievable stadium, modern, beautiful and the pitch was in the perfect condition to play.  To come up against Mattéo Guendouzi was great, I know him well from our time at Lorient. He was my friend before the game, he was my friend after the game, but for those 90 minutes he wasn't my friend, he was my adversary."

Were the lads giving you much advice before the game?

"Everybody was saying good luck, no pressure and that they had confidence in me. You can get caught up thinking it's a Premier League side and it's Arsenal, but they reminded me that it was just another game, no different to those I'd played in the Under-23s.  The forcus was to try and keep that same mentality, so that's what I tried to do.  Kiko Casilla, Kamil Miazek and Marcos Abad were great before the game, they put me in the best condition to start the game and I can't thank them enough."

How have you found adapting to a new club and league?

"It's different to how we play in France, in that it's more box-to-box, more intense and more physical, but the style Leeds play is perfect for me. The way they allow me to play with the team and build from the back, I love it."

How did you find the reaction from the fans?

"They're unbelievable! They're amazing! I received a lot of messages on social media after the game and I can't thank them enough for the support."