MOLDE, Norway — Irish teenager Michael Noonan had a remarkable debut with Shamrock Rovers on Thursday that will surely be remembered.
At just 16 years old, the forward achieved what his club described as the record for the youngest goalscorer in European club competitions.
Noonan’s goal in the second half led the “Hoops” to a 1-0 victory over the Norwegian team, Molde, in the first leg of their Conference League playoff.
At the age of 16 years and 197 days, he surpassed the previous record held by Romelu Lukaku by 21 days, a record that was established in December 2009 when Lukaku scored for Anderlecht against Ajax in the Europa League.
“Enjoyed that one,” Noonan shared on his Instagram account following the match.
This game marked a historic moment for Shamrock Rovers, as they became the first Irish team to compete in the knockout stage of any European competition.
The return leg is scheduled for next Thursday at Tallaght Stadium in Dublin, and the victory in Norway led to the sale of 1,000 tickets shortly after the final whistle, contributing to a total capacity of approximately 10,000.
Noonan, who previously had a trial with Manchester City, joined the Rovers in January from St Patrick’s Athletic, where he made history as the youngest-ever starter at just 15 years and 9 months.
He is also an Under-17 international player for Ireland.
Shamrock Rovers’ coach, Stephen Bradley, explained that it was an easy decision to include Noonan in the match lineup after observing his impressive performances against experienced defenders during practice.
“You could tell he was ready. I made the decision very early to play him; didn’t tell him until late because I didn’t want it to play on his mind,” Bradley stated.
He added, “He just lives, breathes, and sleeps football. You have that attitude and then you combine it with ability; you’ve got half a chance. And he’s definitely got half a chance.”