Around fifty players have made their debut for Northern Ireland before their twentieth birthdays. The following is a list of those that were under eighteen...
|
Player |
(Club) |
Born |
Debut |
Age |
|
Distillery |
18/09/1866 |
18/02/1882 |
15 Yrs 154 Dys* |
|
|
Man. United |
07/05/1965 |
17/06/1982 |
17 Yrs 41 Dys^ |
|
|
Distillery |
30/11/1890 |
15/02/1908 |
17 Yrs 77 Dys |
|
|
Linfield |
07/12/1877 |
16/03/1895 |
17 Yrs 99 Dys** |
|
|
Cliftonville |
01/10/1876 |
24/02/1894 |
17 Yrs 146 Dys# |
|
|
Cliftonville |
16/09/1877 |
09/03/1895 |
17 Yrs 174 Dys |
|
|
Man. United |
02/08/1954 |
16/02/1972 |
17 Yrs 198 Dys |
|
|
Wolves |
26/10/1992 |
26/05/2010 |
17 Yrs 212 Dys |
|
|
Man. United |
27/02/1943 |
09/11/1960 |
17 Yrs 256 Dys |
|
|
Belfast
Celtic |
13/04/1888 |
17/02/1906 |
17 Yrs 310 Dys |
|
|
Liverpool |
30/05/2003 |
30/05/2021 |
17 Yrs 325 Dys |
|
|
Newcastle |
12/07/1991 |
06/06/2009 |
17 Yrs 329 Dys |
|
|
Nott’m
Forest |
12/12/2003 |
12/11/2003 |
17 Yrs 335 Dys |
|
|
Distillery |
26/02/1869 |
05/02/1887 |
17 Yrs 344 Dys |
|
|
Ipswich
T. |
03/06/1993 |
24/05/2011 |
17 Yrs 355 Dys |
|
|
Man. United |
22/04/1946 |
15/04/1964 |
17 Yrs 359 Dys |
* Scored on his second appearance, making him Ireland's youngest ever goalscorer.
** Scored on his debut, thus making him the second youngest goalscorer in (Northern) Ireland's history.
# The only other player to score an international goal for Ireland prior to his eighteenth birthday was William Gibson, who scored on his second appearance at the age of 17 years and 153 days.
^ Whiteside's debut against Yugoslavia at the Espana 82 made him the youngest player ever to appear at a World Cup Finals, beating the record previously held by Pele. In the same match he also became the youngest Northern Ireland player to collect a booking.
** Scored on his debut, thus making him the second youngest goalscorer in (Northern) Ireland's history.
^ Whiteside's debut against Yugoslavia at the Espana 82 made him the youngest player ever to appear at a World Cup Finals, beating the record previously held by Pele. In the same match he also became the youngest Northern Ireland player to collect a booking.
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