"It was a great experience for me," said Whitbread. "We've got to enjoy the victory on Tuesday and be ready when we're called upon again.
"I don't think my progress has been too bad. I've been in the reserves for a while and now I'm made up to have had a chance in the first team. Everything's a learning curve.
"The more I play at this level, the better I will get. The gaffer is very good defensively. He's helped me a lot, particularly from an organisation point of view.
"He's not someone who will treat the stars and the youngsters differently. Everything is about the team. We train together, eat together and do everything as a squad.
"He promised everyone will get a chance during the season and he's kept to that. It's great so many young players are getting an opportunity and now it's up to us to take it.
"When people say there's nothing coming through our Academy you really want to get out there and show them that's not true.
"It's up to us to show what we can do. If we take our chance we can prove a lot of people wrong. We can do our bit to show the Academy has been worthwhile.
"You can't expect every young Academy player to be Steven Gerrard. There aren't many in the world like him. I also think there are a lot of players who need to make the step up to bring out the best of themselves. The more you play at the highest level, the better you get. You can even surprise yourself sometimes. Playing in big games inspires you to perform to your maximum.
"It was a wonderful experience for me at The Academy. Not only did it help me football-wise, but as a person I think I've learned so much from the coaches in Kirkby. It's not just football, but you get a good education and upbringing there."