Leeds United's Charlie Cresswell gives vow after Millwall debut as boss makes defender admission

England under-21s centre-back Cresswell and Whites team mate Jamie Shackleton have both joined Championship side Millwall on a season-long loan.

The duo both started Saturday's season opener at home to Stoke City in which Cresswell scored after just 12 minutes for the first part of a debut brace.

The 19-year-old netted with a bullet header from a George Honeyman corner and then repeated the dose with another firm finish from a Scott Malone delivery five minutes after the hour mark.

His double-salvo gave his side a 2-0 victory which has left the Lions top of the very early Championship table and Cresswell top of the pile in the division's goal scoring charts.

The teenager struggled to comprehend what he had achieved on debut but then took to social media to signal his clear intentions of what was to come.

"Brilliant from everyone involved today," wrote the defender on his Instagram page.

"This is only the start."

Asked for his thoughts on his debut by MillwallTV, Cresswell beamed: "I'm lost for words really.

"To come out here and perform on a stage like this, I'm just buzzing that I got the opportunity to come out and do that.

"But to have topped it out with two goals, I'm just speechless to be fair, can't get my head around it."

Lions boss Gary Rowett served up huge praise for Cresswell who might well have been on the bench but for Shaun Hutchinson picking up a hamstring injury.

Rowett, though, admitted that Cresswell’s immediate impact has actually come as no surprise.

Rowett told London News Online: "I just said to him: ‘It doesn’t get any better than that, does it?’

"As a young player making his Millwall debut, he showed what he was all about.

“I spoke to him Tuesday. He has worked incredibly hard and been excellent in pre-season, I just said: ‘I’ve been really impressed, you might have to be a little bit patient with the senior centre-halves we have got’.

"Hutchy pulled out of training towards the end of the week, but it made team selection easy – he went straight into the team.

“It wasn’t just the goals – impressive as they were. He attacked both goals. It was the way he defended.

"He got a yellow card early in the second half but showed great control and great composure when to step in and when to come out with the ball.

"You saw his range of passing, I don’t think you’ve seen half of it today.

“He’s played for Leeds and he’s played for England under-21s, I don’t think it is any surprise – the quality he has got. It was a really, really good start.”

Cresswell's Leeds and now Millwall team mate Shackleton bagged 76 minutes in centre-midfield on his competitive Lions debut.

The 22-year-old was one of three players that made way as part of a triple substitution with 14 minutes left.

"Great start to the season at The Den," wrote Shackleton on his Instagram page.

"First three points on the board and two goals for the big man."

Millwall are back in action on Tuesday evening at Cambridge United in the Carabao Cup.

The side's first Championship away game of the new season then awaits at Sheffield United on Saturday afternoon.