Shoretire Becomes Youngest Ever United Player In European Match
Youngster Shola Shoretire who is of Nigerian descent on Thursday, broke a 38-year record to become Manchester United’s youngest player ever in a European match.
Aged 17 years and 23 days, Shoretire broke the record set by Norman Whiteside, who was 108 days older, when he entered United’s game against Real Sociedad in place of Mason Greenwood.
Whiteside made his debut for United in Europe in the UEFA Cup against Valencia on September 15, 1982.
An excited Shoretire, a product of United’s academy, took to his Twitter account to express his delight at being United’s youngest player in a European competition.
He tweeted, “What a feeling to make my European debut! To become United’s youngest ever player in Europe is an incredible honour and a proud moment for me and my family! On to the next round #MUFC.”
United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer also hailed the teenager for his exploits.
“Shola’s got some skills, attributes that we think are going to make him a very good player here.
“It’s a platform of course tonight; just 15 minutes, so it’s something to build on, something for him to remember at Old Trafford. If the fans had been here, he would have enjoyed it more because they give you so much more energy. Football is strange at the moment, it is different, but I’m sure all the fans will see him later on,” Solskjaer said after the game.
