Top 10 youngest debutants in Serie A history

Published at :December 16, 2023 at 4:34 PM

Modified at :December 27, 2023 at 5:40 PM

Age is just a number if you’re good at football

While an average person may have been attending school during such ages these boys were facing adults in Italian professional football. And not just any level of football though. They were up against professionals from the top tier of club football based in Italy called the Serie A.

In this list, we present you the top 10 youngest debutants in Serie A history. And there seems a good number of Italian clubs who don’t hesitate to showcase their young talents on the grandest stage of Italian football. As many as 8 different clubs are associated with the following names during their debuts. Only Bologna FC and Genoa CFC have had more than one player associated with them during their debuts in this top 10.

10. Andrea Pirlo – 16 years and 2 days

Stephan El Shaarawy who now plays for AS Roma missed out on the top 10 record list by a month and 22 days. El Shaarawy was 16 years, 1 month and 24 days old when he made his debut in Serie A for Genoa CFC back in December 2008. Andrea Pirlo’s debut which came in May 1995 for Brescia Calcio still rounds off the top 10 list.

9. Valeri Bozhinov – 15 years, 11 months and 12 days

Valeri Bozhinov was in the ranks of US Lecce’s under-19 side when the first team decided to give him a shot at senior level. At 15 years, 11 months and 12 days old the young left-footed Bulgarian centre-forward came on in place of David Balleri against Brescia Calcio. The event happened on 27 January 2002.

8. Eddie Salcedo – 15 years, 10 months and 20 days

Fifteen years down the line after Bozhinov’s debut, another centre-forward made headlines. On August 20, 2017, a local boy from Genova itself made his senior team debut named Eddie Salcedo. It was Genoa CFC’s trip to US Sassuolo’s Mapei Stadium – Città del Tricolore when manager Ivan Juric brought in Salcedo in place of Andrey Galabinov at the 81-minute mark.

7. Giuseppe Campione – 15 years, 9 months and 25 days

AC Milan was on the road to face Bologna FC 1909 back on June 25, 1989. The game ended 4-1 in favour of the visitors. Although the home side suffered as per the scoreline they had something to celebrate. A young Giuseppe Campione made his senior team debut.

6. Aristide Rossi – 15 years, 9 months and 21 days

Aristide Rossi was a lucky boy. When Rossi was still a teenager not only US Cremonese allowed him to travel with the first team, he even ended up starting for them against Brescia Calcio. Even though the June 29, 1930 game ended as a 4-3 thriller, Rossi happened to be on the losing side.

5. Gianni Rivera – 15 years, 9 months and 15 days

Gianni Rivera was a rising talent for US Alessandria Calcio 1912 and made his debut at just 15 years, 9 months and 15 days. US Alessandria Calcio 1912 is now a club that participates in the third tier of Italian football. When Rivera made his debut Alessandria Calcio where competing in Serie A. Over the course of his career, Rivera thrived as a second striker, an attacking midfielder and even as a central midfielder.

4. Pietro Pellegri – 15 years, 9 months and 5 days

Almost 7 years ago, centre-forward Pietro Pellegri made his Italian first-tier club football debut. Pellegri represented Genoa CFC in a game against Torino FC. And dramatically enough, it is for Torino FC where Pellegri plays his football.

3. Amedeo Amadei – 15 years, 9 months and 5 days

An event that happened on May 1, 1937, still holds much value in modern-day football in Italy. In a 2-2 draw between AS Roma and ACF Fiorentina, Amedeo Amadei’s youthful debut appearance was of special notice. To date, Amadei’s debut for Roma when he was aged 15 years, 9 months and 5 days finds its place among the top 3 youngest debutants in Serie A history.

2. Wisdom Amey – 15 years, 9 months and 1 day

Centreback Wisdom Amey overtook the youngest Serie A debutant record held by Amedeo Amadei which was in place from 1937 to set a new one in May 2021. In a game between Bologna FC 1909 and Genoa CFC that was played behind closed doors at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara, Amey set this special record in Italian football. Now aged 18 Wisdom Amey captains the under-19 side of Bologna FC 1909 called Bologna Primavera.

1. Francesco Camarda – 15 years, 8 months and 15 days

During the 2023-24 season, Serie A record keepers had to update their historic young debutant record once again. At the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza usually known as San Siro, AC Milan allowed Francesco Camarda to earmark his name in the Serie A history books. Camarda came on to spearhead the Rossoneri front line in place of Luka Jović while they were 1-0 up against ACF Fiorentina.

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