The appearance may have been fleeting, but Stefan Bajcetic’s arrival on the pitch against Ajax has seen the teenager carve a niche for himself in Liverpool’s record books.
The 17-year-old has turned heads in recent months after impressing during pre-season before becoming a fixture in Jurgen Klopp’s side in light of midfield injuries.
Bajcetic has been named to the bench eight times this season, leading to two appearances, first in the Premier League against Bournemouth before making his European debut in victory over Ajax.
And while the teenager may only have been on the pitch for a minute after replacing Thiago in stoppage time, in doing so he became Liverpool’s youngest ever Champions League player.
At the age of 17 years, 10 months and 22 days, Bajcetic took the record from Billy Koumetio, who was 18 years and 25 days old when he made his Champions League debut against Midtjylland in 2020.
In Liverpool’s European history, Bajcetic is the fourth youngest to play on the continent for the club behind Phil Charnock (17 years, seven months and two days), Raheem Sterling (17 years, seven months and 25 days) and Michael Owen (17). years, nine months and two days).
The youngster’s rise to date has been impressive and recent reports indicate that within the club he is seen as “way ahead of his long-term agenda”.
There is a reluctance to expose him too soon, but the noises are positive when it comes to Bajcetic, who has made significant progress since joining the club in 2021.
In addition to his 20 minutes in the Premier League and his cameo against Ajax, Bajcetic has played twice for the U21s so far this season.
