The WGT said, "It was Phil's first European start and he handled himself admirably. I don't think Simao got away from him more than once or twice in the game."
Fergie had no doubts about him, "We had a young team but I tell the young players 'you should have no fear. You are playing every day with the greatest players in Britain - people like Rooney, van Nistelrooy, Ronaldo and Keane - so when you are doing well in training you can take that anywhere, that's your passport'.”
Phil himself also seems happy with how it went, "I didn't have time to get nervous. I knew I had a job to do and I tried to carry it out to the best of my abilities. It helps that other young lads like John O'Shea, Darren Fletcher and Kieran Richardson are in the team. You know Sir Alex Ferguson will give you a chance if you are good enough. I tried to enjoy it and hopefully I can keep my place on Saturday.
"I was delighted to get a run-out. It's a fantastic competition and you gain great experience from playing alongside a player like Rio. All the older lads set a great example for the younger players and I thought myself and Kieran [Richardson] adapted well. I'm just pleased that we were able to get a great result because we needed it.”