They are the headline-grabbing moments that evoke football’s penchant for the comic-book spectacular.
Whether it’s a 15-year-old making his debut for a top club in one of Europe’s elite leagues, or a boy two years younger assisting a goal with his first touch in senior football for his Northern Irish Premiership club.
But, Arsenal’s Ethan NwaneriWho became the Premier League’s youngest player earlier this month, to Glenavon’s Christopher Atherton breaking the UK record a few days earlierThere is also a lot of behind-the scenes planning and assessment that must be done before these extraordinary cameos can occur.
The Athletic looked at the requirements professional clubs should have when a player is entering the senior first-team environment.
First, remember that the Protection of Children Act 1978 in the UK defines a child to be a person who is under 18 years of age.
Wayne Rooney, a Premier League star, burst onto this scene in 1995. EvertonAged 16 or older James Vaughan later became the top flight’s youngest goalscorerBoth were legal children when they joined the same club at the same age.
