Nigel Clough believes Everton loanee Nathan Broadhead provides the missing link at Burton Albion. Broadhead completed a stunning full-debut brace to help record a 2-1 victory at Gillingham on Saturday.
Clough revealed last weekend that Broadhead was handed his first appearance from the bench against Ipswich Town despite training for just 30 minutes with the first-team after sealing his first temporary move away from Goodison Park.
"It was very difficult to start him after just a half-hour training session on the Friday morning, but he's right in the mix," Clough said.
"Nathan is fine in terms of fitness, he's been with Everton's first team, he's played games, so it was just introducing him slowly."
The manager was impressed enough by Broadhead's cameo to give him his full League One debut at Gillingham and the 21 year-old responded emphatically.
Trailing by a solitary Ousseynou Cisse strike, the Welshman - who was called up to Ryan Giggs' senior squad during the summer - turned the game on its head with two goals in the space of three minutes on the stroke of half-time.
Speaking after the game, the son of legendary manager Brian Clough singled out Broadhead for praise.
“It was a thoroughly deserved victory," he said. "We played well throughout the game despite the wind which made it very challenging conditions.
“Nathan took his goals very well," he continued. "The first one, in training he has been curling them in with his right foot and he missed one just before that. It is one of his signature finishes.
"The second one impressed us more, it was right in the six-yard box and we scored two in two minutes and deserved to go in at half-time in the lead. That’s what we were missing at times last season."
Broadhead, who was voted Everton under-23s player of the season last term after playing a key role in their unprecedented double, is keen to help Burton progress and catch the eye of Marco Silva.
“That’s what I’ve always wanted to do since I was young - play at Goodison Park - and I have played there in the Sport Pesa Cup, and scored!" he said after netting his double.
“I just want to play in front of fans at the highest level possible.
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"Marco Silva is a very good manager and I enjoy working under him and I think he gets the best out of me, and [Duncan Ferguson] is a club legend, isn't he? I enjoyed playing under him as well.
“Getting men’s football under my belt and doing as good as possible, helping [Burton] get points on the board, that’s what I want.”
He continued: “Everyone has to believe in themselves, even if you’re a first-team player or an academy player.
“You have to believe in yourself and hopefully you can get a chance.
“It was a great experience for me, playing and starting, and I enjoyed it.
“The fans are who I want to play in front of, if it's 100 fans or 60,000 fans. It was a great experience for me and hopefully there’s many more goals to come.”
