The following are the Northern IrelandTeam ran out to Windsor Park Saturday, and most of the viewing ball boys would have been in awe watching their heroes from the pitchside.
Christopher Atherton is too polite and modest to be proud of his role in the Nations League tie with Kosovo. However, his perspective did differ a little.
Eleven days earlier, he went from watching his Northern Irish Premiership team Glenavon, to playing for them — aged just 13.
At a stage when most boys’ voices are yet to drop, the 5ft 8in (172cm) youngster was dropping his shoulder and breaking into the box to assist a goal, as seen in the clip below, then almost score another during his remarkable 15-minute cameo in a League Cup tie against Dollingstown.
This is the story of a record-breaking appearance that made Atherton UK football’s youngest ever player, attracting a level of global attention (and local criticism) that those who have nurtured him could not have imagined.
It is 6pm in the car park of Glenavon’s Mourneview Park Stadium in Lurgan, a town 18 miles south west of Belfast and the birthplace of former Northern Ireland and CelticNeil Lennon is the manager, who was also a Glenavon teenager.
As the last of the lingering afternoon sun fades, a boy is getting changed in the back of his father’s car.
Christopher jumps out of his backseat in his blue kit and taps on the asphalt. He then jogs to his new teammates to train. One of them is a right back who is 38 years old.
Football rules regarding child safeguarding state that he cannot change his position in front adults.
