Altidore makes Premier League debut - August 23,2009

Jozy Altidore made his English Premier League debut, Saturday, and made an immediate impact as Hull City beat Bolton Wanderers 1-0 at KC Stadium.

Just seconds after replacing Caleb Folan on the hour-mark, the USA international assisted on Kamil Ghilas’ game-winning goal. The victory was Hull’s first of the season after losses to Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur.

“It was incredible,” gushed the 19-year-old after the final whistle. “I couldn’t sleep beforehand and I was really excited to get here it was great, all I expected it to be and more.”

Altidore is on a season-long loan from Villarreal after failing to make an impact at the Yellow Submarine last season. He made just six appearances for Manuel Pellegrini’s side last term, scoring once. He has seven goals in 17 international appearances for the United States.

His debut was a long time in coming, given his trouble in securing a work permit and that fact that one of his American teammates came down with swine flu earlier in the month.

“I was losing faith,” he said. “I felt it wasn’t going to go through and it was all going to be for nothing. But everyone did a great job to try to get me here and I really appreciate it.

Born in Livingston, New Jersey, Altidore’s parents immigrated to the United States from Haiti shortly before his birth in 1989.

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