UK’s youngest-ever senior footballer gets assist with first touch aged just 13 years old

Christopher Atherton got an assist with his first touch of the ball while becoming the UK’s youngest-ever senior footballer at the age of just 13 years and 329 days.

The Glenavon Academy prospect was thrown into first-team action against Dollingstown on Tuesday September 13 in the League Cup – helping the top-flight Northern Irish side to a 6-0 victory.

The schoolboy’s appearance breaks a 42-year-old record set by Eamon Collins who appeared for Blackpool at the age of 14 years and 323 days back in 1980 – who still holds the record in England.

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Glenavon boss Gary Hamilton was full of praise for Atherton post-match, even admitting that there has been interest in signing him from across the channel.

He said: “He was unlucky not to score and is a special talent. There is a lot of interest in him from across the channel and I’m not surprised. I’m not surprised one bit. It fills you full of joy and pride because we started this academy and he’s been there from the start.

“From four or five years of age to progressing right through. He’s a quiet kid who has confidence and ability. He is on that football pitch and nothing fazes him.”

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Atherton joined the club as a youngster when they formed the academy, pushing himself to the top of their rising stars thanks to his attitude and desire.

Hamilton added: “He’s a joy to watch and a great kid. The work he does away from training at Glenavon and the dedication he has to become a professional footballer is unbelievable.

“That’s what separates him from a lot of the kids in the academy. He works night and day at his game, he eats the right foods, he goes to bed at the right time he does everything he can to become a better footballer and everything he can to give himself the best chance of becoming a professional footballer.

“I’ve been watching him for years and for a long time I’ve said that he is the best player that I’ve seen for his age.”

Atherton, who turns 14 in December, is more than two years younger than Harvey Elliott was when he became the youngest player in Premier League history back in 2019.

Another potential landmark is Norman Whiteside’s Northern Ireland debut which he made at the age of 17 years and 40 days at the 1982 World Cup against Yugoslavia.

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