proof please..not doubting ya, would just like to see some records of 15 year olds playing competetive games in the top two divsions…i really dont think there has been more than two or three in my minds eye, and i promise i havent looked it up anywhere…. but i do actually like to be proved wrong.

At Charlton only young'uns I can think of is Scott Parker at 16, and maybe Osie Sankofa who was about 17?

Think Noble is right, in the top 2 tiers you hardly hear of players younger than 18 playing regular

Course he's right, its blindingly obvious that there wont be many under 18s playing regularly.

Nobody said regular though. I just said it was nothing new and 34 players proves that. The top two tiers argument came into after i said it was nthing new. I said if anything would get more frequant. Plus there are loads of under 18's playing these days, but were talkign under 16's.

Btw Peter Lorimer played for leeds in 1963 when they were in divsion 2. Dunno who against or any other info as to wether it was league, fa cup, league cup, milk cup etc etc

My comment was in direct response to Matts, not the discussion as a whole. It depends what you mean by loads, course theres some, but theres not a lot that hold down regular starting places aged 17 or less.

yeah but that list of 34 are players under 15 who HAVE made their debuts at 15, not just pro contracts. I'll email the guy who did the article and get the list of players and clubs.
Remember years ago kids left school at what 14? So of those 34 there could be a fair few who played in the 60's 70's in lower league(maybe div 2) and nobody would have heard of them

In Recent times i no they are not quite 15 but Jermaine Pennant played for arsenal aged 16 i'm not sure whether he played for notts county before though ? Gary Mcsheffrey played for Coventry aged 16, Bojan is currently playing for barca aged 17, Armand Traoré played for Arsenal about 2 seasons ago and he is only 18 now so it does happened however at 15 it is rare

not saying your wrong mate don't worry, i no the debate is about 15 year old

it all boils down to cunts like jordan treating the game like a business first rather than loving the club and the football.

Email sent

Hi i read your article regarding Crystal Palace's bright young thing John Bostock. While myself didn't regard the fact he was 15 as hugely significant a friend of mine did. He thinks that of the 34 players in the list of under 16's very few if any have made their debuts in the top two tiers of english football. I think there is a few given the leaving age for school in earlier years was much younger so im thinking there may have been a few at least second division debutants? but without proof i can only thikn of Matthew Ethrington and as you listed Lorimer so would it be possible for you to confirm either way and also provide me the list of 34? thanks for your time. Keep up the very good work.