Melbourne City winger Akeem Gerald etched his name into the record books on Wednesday night, becoming the youngest player ever to feature in the AFC Champions League.
Just 15 years and 242 days old, Gerald was introduced in the 84th minute of City’s clash with Vissel Kobe in Japan, marking another remarkable milestone in what has already been a whirlwind start to his professional career.
The teenager had already made history earlier this year when he became the youngest player to debut for City’s Men’s First Team, featuring in the Australia Cup.
His ACL Elite appearance now adds another chapter, underlining his status as one of the brightest young prospects to emerge from the Club.
Gerald’s introduction was one of several significant moments on the night. Kosovan international Elbasan Rashani made his debut, while Besian Kutleshi came on for his first senior minutes in City blue.
Beckham Baker also featured from the bench, while Kavian Rahmani led the line from the start at just 18 years of age.
They were joined by a core of fellow youngsters in the XI, with goalkeeper Patrick Beach (22) joined by a trio of 20-year-olds in Harry Shillington, Zane Schreiber and Emin Durakovic – further highlighting the Club’s youth development pathway. A host of other Academy talents also featured on the bench.
While City’s night ended in unfortunate fashion with a stoppage-time goal seeing Kobe secure a 1-0 win, Gerald’s record-breaking cameo was a clear positive, offering a glimpse of a player with an exciting future ahead.
