Christopher Atherton set the UK record for the youngest senior player on Tuesday. At just 13 years and 329 days old, the youngster broke the previous record by 227 days. He made one substitute appearance for Glenavon FC in the Northern Ireland League Cup.
The Northern Ireland forward was used as a second-half substitute in Glenavon’s League Cup clash with Dollingstown. In fact, it didn’t take long for Atherton to make an impact at his club. With the first touch of the game from him, Atherton collected an assist. In the end, Glenavon won the game 6-0.
Unfortunately, Atherton missed the world record by only 10 days.
Souleymane Mamam from Togo currently holds the record for the world’s youngest senior player. He was 13 years and 319 days old when he participated in a World Cup qualifying match against Zambia in 2001.
Atherton breaks the UK record for youngest senior player
Glenavon manager Gary Hamilton claimed that Atherton prepared to break the world record in April. However, the boy attended a Celtic match with his father. “I had no doubt that if we got ahead in the game I could bring him in because he felt comfortable training with the first team before the last game last season,” Hamilton said on his team’s official YouTube channel.
“He just had to go see Celtic with his dad, he would have played that game too as it was the last game of the season and at that point there was nothing to play for with seventh place already secured.”
“We were planning to give him his debut at that time, which would have made him the youngest player in the world, but unfortunately he will have to settle for being the youngest player in the UK.”
Hamilton has even suggested that the teenager is already piquing interest from across the UK. “He is such a special talent,” the coach continued. “There’s a lot of interest in it from cross-channel clubs and I’m not the least bit surprised.”
Glenavon, currently ranked eighth in the NIFL Premiership, will next host Cliftonville on Saturday.
PHOTO: IMAGO / Info Photography
