The Arsenal U18 team took on Aston Villa’s U18 in the first game of the Premier League U18 competition. But it wasn’t the game itself that brought all the headlines but rather the 14-year-old who played the full 90 minutes for Arsenal: Remy Mitchell.
Remy Mitchell played 90 minutes for Arsenal U18s at the weekend as they won 4-2 against Aston Villa.
He's only FOURTEEN years old pic.twitter.com/YK4NpYQsCu— Soccer AM (@SoccerAM) August 13, 2018
At age 14, I was sitting around playing too many video games. To think that Remy Mitchell was playing in goal and an age division four years higher than his own is nothing short of remarkable.
Imagine being that age and trying to stop an absolute rocket from some 18-year-old kid!
Think about how Aston Villa’s U18 players felt when they walked out and saw a pint-sized goalkeeper standing in the opposing net. You would think Villa’s players would take long shots and aim them high in the goal, but that didn’t end up happening.
Arsenal U18 ended up emerging victorious from the clash 4-2, and they now sit in third place in the South division, while Villa is in sixth.
If Remy Mitchell can continue his exploits of playing in higher age groups, we might see him gracing the turf of the Emirates Stadium with the first team at age 16 or 17.
The current record for the youngest goalkeeper to play in the Premier League is Neil Finn, who played for West Ham United at the age of 17 years and three days. That was way back in January 1996.
Neil Finn - English 'keeper whose only West Ham appearance came as a 17-year-old on New Year's Day 1996 vs Man City. pic.twitter.com/TRigUZA2qq
— ForgottenFootballers (@ForgotAboutThem) March 28, 2016