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Season Review – Youngest players to make senior debut

Published: 15-06-2018 11:35
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The youngest player to feature in last season’s BOV leagues was only 14 years old.  Mtarfa left-back Owen Abela was 14 years, 11 months and four days old when he made his senior debut in a BOV Third Division championship match against Mellieħa on 25th March, 2018. Abela was the only 14-year-old making his senior debut last season with Mtarfa being a club that relies a lot on their youth system. The only other player born in 2003 who played in MFA senior leagues last season was Alston Ciappara, also a product of the Mtarfa FC youth nursery. Ciappara is slightly older then Abela, making his debut for the seniors against Żurrieq on 8th April, just a week after his 15th birthday. In the BOV Premier League, the youngest player to make his debut last season was Alex Satariano. The Malta Under-17 forward was 16 when he made his senior bow for St Andrews in their league match against Balzan on 6th January, 2018. Youngest players to make debut in 2017/18 BOV Premier LeagueAlex Satariano (St Andrew's) vs Balzan (6.1.2018, 1-3) - 16 years, two months and 12 days BOV First DivisionChristian Gauci (San Ġwann) vs Sirens (16.10.2017, 2-2) - 15 years, nine months and 21 days BOV Second DivisionDale Ellul (Attard) vs Kalkara (28.1.2018, 1-2) - 15 years, five months and 21 days BOV Third DivisionOwen Abela (Mtarfa) vs Mellieħa (25.3.2018) - 14 years, 11 months and four days In the 2017-18 BOV Premier League, Birkirkara and Mosta made use of three players born after the millennium.Birkirkara introduced Ayrton Attard, Nicholas Farrugia (both born in 2000) and Carlo Zammit-Lonardelli (2001) in their senior XI while Mosta fielded three youngsters born in 2000 – Jordan Vella, Calvin Camilleri and Liam Portelli. In the MFA senior leagues and FA Trophy competition, a total of 74 youngsters born after 2000 figured for their respective clubs last season. MOST APPEARANCES Of these, San Ġwann’s Christian Gauci, who will turn 17 at the end of this year, played the most senior matches (20 in the First Division and two in the FA Trophy). He is followed by Lydon Cuschieri (Attard) with 18 league appearances in the second division and one in the Trophy, and Matthias Vella, of Fgura United, also born in 2000, with 15 league and one cup appearance. In the BOV Third Division, Mellieħa’s Beppe Galea-Curmi, born 2000, made 19 appearances last season – 18 in the league and one in the FA Trophy. NOTEStatistics compiled by Lennard Kelder