Manchester City Football Club currently have one of the brightest youngsters in world football in Phil Foden.
The English midfielder has a massive future ahead of him having been rubbing shoulders with some superstar players for the past few years.
Foden debuted for City back in 2017 against Feyenoord in the Champions League.
He was only 17, making him one of the youngest-players in the club’s history.
But there are few people who turned out for City at an even younger age:
- Glyn Pardoe – 15 years, 314 days
- Paul Simpson – 16 years and 68 days
- Karim Rekik – 16 years and 294 days
- Tommy Caton – 16 years and 297 days
- Marcos ‘Rony’ Lopes – 17 years and 9 days
Manchester City’s youngest-ever debutant is still Glyn Pardoe, who was still seven weeks shy of his 16th birthday when he debuted for the club in 1962.
The versatile right-footer enjoyed a great career, making over 300 appearances.
A challenge with George Best left him with a broken leg, which took him two years to recover from, and his playing opportunities were severely limited when he returned to action.
He left after 14 years at the club, winning five trophies including the European Cup Winners’ Cup.
Dutchman Karim Rekik is the youngest-ever foreign player for Manchester City, and also the youngest-ever academy graduate.
He made his senior debut against Birmingham City in September 2011 aged just 16 and 294 days.
He didn’t quite realise his potential at the Etihad Stadium, making just three appearances before being sold to PSV Eindhoven in 2013 after several loans.
Foden doesn’t actually appear in City’s top 10 for youngest debutants, with the likes of Micah Richards, Daniel Sturridge, Brahim Diaz and Adrian Bernabe all ahead of him.
As good as the Manchester City academy is, it is unlikely Pardoe’s record will ever be broken.
It is practically unheard of for players to debut for the first-team at the age of 15 these days.
Maybe Pep Guardiola will one day throw the mother of all curveballs, although even for him that is highly improbable.
