Sport / Robesten relishes new challenge after debut FA Cup assist
WHEN footballers think of dream debuts, an assist in the FA Cup on live TV within minutes of entering the pitch would definitely be up there.
That was exactly how George Robesten announced himself to the Weston-super-Mare fans on Saturday night, guiding a header into the path of striker Louis Britton to make it 2-2 against League Two side Grimsby.
It was the perfect way for former Scalloway star Robesten, who left Ross County after a near-four year association, to make his immediate mark in the colours of his new club.
And though Weston would concede an agonising late goal which ended their already historic cup run, the experience will live with 20-year-old Robesten for life.
“Oh my days, it was probably the best feeling I’ve had in football so far,” he told Shetland News.
“It was just crazy, to be honest with you. I thought I would be nervous but I was just so excited.
“I thought, ‘it’s a new team, there’s new people to impress, so just enjoy it’. I definitely enjoyed it when I got on!”
Robesten had barely learned his new team-mates’ names before the club’s biggest game in years, with Saturday’s fixture the furthest Weston-super-Mare have been in the FA Cup.
He was thrust into the action for the final 20 minutes at Grimsby’s Blundell Park, and made an immediate contribution with an assist five minutes later.
The winger is better known for his speed than for his aerial prowess, but it was his header that helped his new club get level.
“We actually worked on that set-piece on the day before,” he said, “but I wasn’t taking part.
“I was watching it, so when I came on I just tried to put myself in the right position and went at it with everything I had.”
Despite being several leagues below their opponents, Robesten said his new team-mates were entirely unfazed about the challenge before them on Saturday.
“I thought all the boys would be bouncing, but they were just so relaxed, so chilled,” he said.
“They were saying before the game, ‘right lads, let’s go and beat them’. They weren’t looking at them like a scary League Two team. I loved that.”
Robesten was signed by Ross County in 2022 on an initial two-year apprenticeship, before penning a senior contract with the Staggies.
Joining from Scalloway FC as a teenager, Robesten went on to appear for the club in the Scottish Premiership on a number of occasions – including against Rangers at Ibrox and Hearts at Tynecastle.
After loans at Highland League sides like Brora Rangers, Nairn and Strathspey Thistle, Robesten said he decided it was time for a new challenge.
“I wasn’t getting much game time at Ross County, and there had been a few different managers. They were on the brink of getting a new one and I thought the chances of getting a starting position were getting slimmer.
“My old under-18s manager at County is now the assistant manager here, and he messaged to ask if I would be interested.
“It wasn’t just like a quick decision – I did a lot of thinking and I had a lot discuss with a lot of people.”
Despite admittedly having “no idea” about Weston-super-Mare or the National League, he said him and his mother had scouted them out and liked what they saw.
“It was very much a personal decision for me, and I jumped at it,” he added.
It meant a number of changes for Robesten, not just in where he now calls home.
The move means he is making the big switch from full-time to part-time football, which he admitted was “very different”.
He said that he “would not change anything” about his path through football as he prepares for a new challenge in England.
“Playing against Rangers at Ibrox, playing in the Scottish Cup for County, it’s all helped me with how I play now and how in want to play,” he said.
“At County I was able to get input from top, top level players and go and ask any questions about their careers and what they’ve done.
“You couldn’t really ask for much more when you’re trying to start off a career.”
For Robesten and Weston-super-Mare, now the focus is on achieving promotion – with the club second in the league table.
He said his team-mates’ reaction to cup disappointment was to focus on taking that level of performance back into their upcoming fixtures.
“I’ve definitely made the right decision in coming here,” he said.
“I’m just excited to be part of it, to be honest. It’s a big challenge for me, coming down to a new place and with a new team.
“But I know that if I do what I can do, it will be perfectly fine and I can show everyone what I can do.”
Become a member of Shetland News
Shetland News is asking its readers to consider paying for membership to get additional perks:
- Removal of third-party ads;
- Bookmark posts to read later;
- Exclusive curated weekly newsletter;
- Hide membership messages;
- Comments open for discussion.
If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please become a member of Shetland News by either making a single payment, or setting up a monthly, quarterly or yearly subscription.
Already a member? Sign in to hide this message.
