KEAN
Juventus forward Moise Kean became the first player born in
this millennium to play in the Champions League when he appeared as a
substitute in his team's 3-1 win away to three-time Europa League champions
Sevilla.
Kean, who was just 16 years and 267 days old on Tuesday,
climbed off the bench at Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan with just six
minutes remaining, his arrival quickly coinciding with Juventus moving back
ahead on their way to victory.
With the game level at 1-1 and Sevilla down to 10 men
following the first-half sending off of Franco Vazquez, the Italian giants
needed a goal.
And with Keane on the field, it soon came as a cross from
the right was cleared to defender Leonardo Bonucci who drove home from the edge
of the box.
YOUNGEST PLAYERS TO
PLAY IN THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Celestine Babayaro, Anderlecht: 16 years and 87 days (1994)
Alen Halilovic, Dinamo Zagreb: 16 years and 128 days (2012)
Youri Tielemans, Anderlecht: 16 years and 148 days (2013)
Charis Mavrais, Panathinaikos: 16 years and 242 days (2010)
Kenneth Zohore, Copenhagen: 16 years and 263 days (2010)
Bonucci's effort made it 2-1 and followed goals before the
break from Sevilla's Nicolas Pareja and a penalty from Claudio Marchisio.
Mario Mandzukic made it 3-1 in added time and while the win
sent Juventus into the Champions League knock-out stages, it was Kean who
dominated the headlines.
His achievement was his second landmark in less than a week,
the young Italian who was born to Ivorian parents having become the first
player born after 2000 to appear in Serie A in Saturday's 3-0 victory over
Pescara.
A promising young striker, Kean played youth football with
Torino before signing with Turin giants Juve in 2010.
He was born on February 28, 2000 and becomes the
sixth-youngest player to figure in Europe's premier club competition. Former
Chelsea and Nigeria defender Celestine Babayaro is the youngest player to have
ever featured in the Champions League. He was 16 years and 87 days old
when he played for Anderlecht in 1994.
While Kean might not have broken the record as the youngest
Champions League player of all time, the future certainly looks bright for a
man who has already played at the highest level of European football.
Represented by Mino Raiola - the same agent boasted
by Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s - Kean has been linked with moves
to Arsenal and Manchester City.
Despite his appearances for Juventus, Kean is yet to
sign a professional deal with the Serie A champions and they could yet lose him
to the Premier League.
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