Fabrice Muamba admits Sunday's Birmingham derby was the most intense he's been involved in.

"It was an unbelievable game and atmosphere," said the 19-year-old derby debutant, who was the youngest player on the pitch. "It's going to go down in the record book of my life. I have not known anything like it.

"You don't expect people to take a game so seriously. At the start of the week people begin to send you text messages, people stop you when you are out and tell you about the game.

"It took me a bit by surprise to be honest, just how much the game meant to everyone in Birmingham. The gaffer did talk to us a lot and said what Birmingham-Villa meant.

"But you have to get out there yourself to fully understand, and I soon realised as a player that I was getting into some serious business here.

"It meant so much to our fans and I'm just sorry they had to face their workmates the next morning after we lost the game. We will try to make it up to them in the next few weeks and when we go to play at Villa.

"What I would ask of them is to keep giving us 100 per cent and keep supporting us because the players will always try their hardest for them and the shirt.

"I am sure that if we continue to work hard, cut out our mistakes and carry on playing as we have done, then the results will happen for us, we will come up with the right answers."