Derek Pender has slammed criticism of Bohs's decision to hand teenager Evan Ferguson a league debut.
The 14-year-old striker - son of former League of Ireland star Barry Ferguson - came off the bench in last week’s 0-0 draw away to Derry City.
During the summer, he made his first-team Gypsies bow in a friendly draw with Chelsea that marked Frank Lampard’s first game in charge.
Bohs skipper Pender, 34, said yesterday: “It’s mad. The reaction to Evan coming on last week hasn’t been as good as I thought.
“He was involved in the Chelsea game when he was marked by Kurt Zouma who is 7 foot tall!
“He came on against Derry and the people giving that (negative) reaction probably wouldn’t know that Evan has been training with us for the last few months.
“He’s massive, bullying me and Rob Cornwall in training. There’s no way Keith Long was ever going to put him in any danger.
“People would be giving out if he was being held back.”
But Pender continued: “I can’t believe he’s only 15 next month. I was talking to him on the bus on the way back from Derry.
“I said ‘the size of you’. He’s like his Dad and Baz was a big man, a hard man too. Evan must have a bit about him.”
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