Tommy Fraser has revealed the quick-thinking which saved him from any danger of a debut sending-off at Millwall.

The strong-running midfielder saw what had already seemed to be an imminent progression from youth team skipper to first teamer brought forward by Dean Wilkins last Saturday.

It certainly caught his dad Frank by surprise and forced him to dash from Arsenal, where he had planned to watch the Middlesbrough game, to enjoy his son's big day.

Fraser came off the bench to add athleticism and back-tracking to the Albion midfield as they looked to grind out a welcome away draw.

He made three great defensive contributions to help keep his team on terms.

But it was after they got the bonus of a late goal and celebrated at the dugout that his thought process went into overdrive. Fraser remembered how Dean Cox and Alex Revell had been booked for going off the pitch to celebrate in the win at Rotherham and how Cox later picked up a second booking and was dismissed on his first senior start.

So Fraser made sure he got quickly back on the pitch and headed off any chance of being suspended for what turned out to be his first senior start against Bournemouth on Tuesday.

Looking back at his Den debut, the 18-year-old said: "I had been booked before the goal. When Coxy scored I saw him coming along the line and he jumped into the dugout.

"I jumped in and then realised what Coxy did the first game of the season.

"Then I jumped straight back out again and celebrated on the pitch instead. I think a few of us did that.

"We were celebrating at the end because I believe everyone here wants Dean Wilkins to get the job.

"He is the perfect coach. So is Dean White. I think they are both great and they both show different aspects.

"Dean Wilkins is more tactical, Dean White has got experience, he knows what he is talking about. It was great to get the win and the fans got behind us. I thought they were different class."

No one got booked for celebrating on Saturday, presumably because the frivolity did not lead to any fans surging towards the front of the stand.

But it was good to know Fraser was thinking.

When the call came for that first start on Tuesday, he grew in confidence on the ball as the game wore on.

Fraser was used in a sort of inside-right midfield role, offering support to Dean Hammond and Dean Cox.

The presence of Paul Reid behind him and Revell, who can drift out to the right, ahead of him, allowed Fraser to adopt a narrower position than Alex Frutos on the left, though he looked to get involved in build-up play tight to the touchline when required. Wilkins was impressed but with reservations.

He said: "Tom has a good temperament. I thought he coped with the situation really well and showed good composure at times.

"I took him off at the end there because I felt one or two players went past him a little bit easily. At that stage I thought our game was a little untidy."

Superfit Fraser's knack of being involved in key incidents marks him out.

His defensive interventions on Saturday included a tracking-back challenge when Derek McInnes threatened, a great header at the far post and a goal-line clearance from Zak Whitbread's header before Albion grabbed their winner. Even then it was tense.

He said: "When the six minutes added time went up I felt like crying. They gave six minutes on the clock but when it got to about 4:50 they stopped it dead.

"You keep looking up and you think the time hasn't changed. You don't know how long there is to go so it was horrible."