Christopher Atherton: Glenavon teenager breaks record as UK's youngest senior footballer

Northern Irish schoolboy Christopher Atherton became the youngest senior footballer in the United Kingdom at 13 years and 329 days old when he played for Glenavon on Tuesday.

The teenage forward came on as a second-half substitute in their 6-0 win over Dollingstown in the League Cup.

And he made a quick impact, providing an assist for Glenavon's sixth goal.

Atherton breaks the record set by Jordan Allan, who played for Airdrie aged 14 years and 191 days.

Allan made his debut for Airdrie against Livingston in April 2013.

Atherton missed world record by 10 days

After making his debut, Atherton missed out on becoming the youngest senior player in the world by just 10 days.

The record is held by Souleymane Mamam, who played for Togo in a World Cup qualifier against Zambia in May 2001 at 13 years and 319 days.

Glenavon manager Gary Hamilton said the teenager was set to become the youngest player in the world in April if he had not been away for the final game of the season.

"A lot of us at that age would have been dreaming of becoming a footballer and playing for a first team, thinking it is a million miles away," Hamilton told Glenavon's YouTube channel.

"I had no doubt that if we got ahead in the game then I could bring him on because he was comfortable to train with the first team before the last match of last season.

"Only he had to go to watch Celtic with his Dad he would have played in that match as well, as it was the last match of the season and at that stage there was nothing to play for with seventh place already secured.

"We were planning on giving him his debut then which would have made him the youngest player in the world, but unfortunately he is just going to have to settle with being the youngest player in the UK."

Christopher Atherton played in this summer's SuperCupNI for Glenavon

'A great kid who works night and day at his game'

Hamilton said it filled him with joy and pride to see Atherton, who has been at the Lurgan Blues' academy for almost 10 years, making his first-team debut.

"He is a great kid. I've had the pleasure watching him every other week for the last eight years because he plays in the same academy team as [Hamilton's son] Callum," he added.

"He is a joy to watch and is a great kid but the work he does away from training at Glenavon, and the dedication that he has to becoming a professional footballer, is unbelievable.

"That is what separates him from a lot of the kids at the academy. He works night and day at his game, he eats the rights foods and he goes to bed at the right time.

"He does everything that he can to become a better footballer and to give himself the best opportunity of becoming a professional footballer. I have been watching him for years and for a long time I've said he is the best player I've seen at his age."

Glenavon have developed a strong pedigree in recent years of developing young players who have gone on to earn moves into full-time football, with Mark Sykes currently at Bristol City, and Shayne Lavery at Blackpool.

Hamilton is in no doubt that Atherton, who can play in any of the forward positions as well as midfield, will soon make a move to England or Scotland.

"He is just such a special talent. There is a lot of interest in him from cross-channel clubs and I am not one bit surprised," the former Glentoran and Northern Ireland striker continued.

"It fills you full of joy and pride because we started this academy and he has been there from the start from when he was four or five years of age.

"He has progressed right through. He just gets on with it. He is a quiet kid but he has confidence and ability - nothing fazes or fears him out on that football pitch.

"When we started that phase of the academy, to have someone come right through and play for the first team is lovely."