Winnall praised the crowd and feels the experience was a major benefit to the Reds for the season ahead. “It was a special game and one I’ll definitely remember for the rest of my career,” Sam said.
“I think we have so many positives to take as a club and I think we’ve put on a really good performance.
“Not just in terms of taking Everton to the wire but we’ve played some really good football and for a League One club to do that speaks volumes about the squad we’ve got and the type of philosophy we have, to play football.
“I couldn’t be prouder of my teammates today and it was a pleasure to play tonight.”
Winnall thanked the fans for their support and hopes that the team can continue to produce that kind of performance this season.
He added: “The fans gave us a standing ovation at the end of the night and that is something that does last long in the memory with myself and the rest of the team. “If we can get them going as much in the league games and they can keep roaring us on, I’m sure we can be successful together.”
Sam praised the character shown by the squad and said it was a pleasure to play alongside players that buy into the philosophy of Reds Head Coach, Lee Johnson.
“The character we have in our dressing room is the kind of player who wants to be successful and play at the highest level and wants to take this football club back into the Championship and further."
He went on to say: “The performance speaks volumes of the Football Club and the direction that it’s going in. We all want to strive for success and it’s a great advert for the football club.”
