Romero, 15, becomes youngest La Liga player

Friday, 26 June 2020 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Luka Romero (R) with teammate

MADRID (Reuters): Real Mallorca forward Luka Romero became the youngest player to make his La Liga debut after the 15-year-old came off the bench in his side’s 2-0 defeat at Real Madrid on Wednesday.

Aged 15 years and 229 days, Romero came on in the 83rd minute to break a record lasting over 80 years held by former Celta Vigo player Francisco Bao Rodríguez, known as Sanson, who made his first La Liga appearance in 1939 aged 15 and

255 days.

Romero had been an unused substitute in Mallorca’s three previous matches since the season resumed this month after a three-month pause due to the new coronavirus pandemic.

The son of Argentine lower league player Diego Romero, the forward was born in Mexico but represents Argentina at youth level and has been at Mallorca’s academy since age 10, having moved to Spain aged two.