NOBODY expected it – not even the player himself – that loan signing Zac Thompson would make such an instant impact for Bury against Carlisle on Tuesday night.

The 19-year-old former Everton trainee, who joined the Shakers on a month’s loan from Leeds on Monday along with Elland Road team-mate Dominic Poleon, scored his first ever senior goal on his debut in the 1-1 draw.

He slotted into centre midfield alongside captain Steven Schumacher like a seasoned pro and was desperately unlucky not to be on a winning side after Carlisle scored an stoppage-time equaliser.

“I thought that I would come here and we would be getting battered every week – that’s what you expect if you are at the bottom, but the lads are terrific,” said Thompson, who was at Goodison at the same time as Schumacher and Bury centre-back Mark Hughes.

“My first game was good, I enjoyed it, it just felt like a loss when the ball hit the back of the net, but it’s still a point. I don’t know how the lads have been losing with the performances they’ve been putting in.”

Fellow debutant Poleon also shone, setting up Thompson and narrowly missing out on opening up his own account with a crisp volley.

Blackwell was full of praise for his new recruits and reserved a special thank you for his former boss Neil Warnock - the Leeds manager - for setting up the deal.

“I can’t thank Neil enough,” said Blackwell.

“He must take a lot of credit for what happened (at Gigg Lane on Tuesday).

“He gave me an opportunity to get two players in that I know a couple of clubs were after and I’ve got to thank Leeds United and Neil in particular.”