Antoni Milambo can call himself the youngest player ever in an official Feyenoord duel. The midfielder, sixteen years and 131 days, came on Thursday in the Conference League match with FC Luzern (3-0 win) as a substitute and thus broke the club record of Georginio Wijnaldum, who in 2007 was the youngest Feyenoord player ever.
Wijnaldum made his debut in April 2007 in the kit of Feyenoord. Erwin Koeman allowed the midfielder his first minutes in the 0-4 defeat against FC Groningen. Wijnaldum, who subsequently also played for PSV and Liverpool and since this summer for Paris Saint-Germain, broke a record set by Ellery Cairo (16 years, 277 days) from 1995.
“It’s nice to see that Slot gives those guys a chance, in a match where it is possible, and that the public sees that too,” said ESPNanalyst Mario Been afterwards. The former Feyenoord player and trainer also referred to the debut of Lennard Hartjes, who came on the field after almost an hour of play. “It will take a long time for them, but at least it’s something.”
The two midfielders were pushed forward by the other players afterwards to thank the fans of Feyenoord. “I was also able to experience it myself,” recalls Been. “It’s something very special. If you play in the youth academy and you can at some point to the other side (from Varkenoord to De Kuip, ed.). “If you succeed and your goal has been achieved, it gives you an enormous feeling. And certainly if you are a real Feyenoord player.”
Been doesn’t know how realistic it is that the teens will get more time to play this season. “You have Leroy Fer, Francesco Antonucci and a Joao Teixeira, who will probably go away. But I think a Fer will still be first. And then you have that Fredrik Aursnes. All in all, it will be difficult for those guys. But at least they have to keep training and get to play football.”
Marciano Vink thinks that Slot will keep the teenagers in the selection. “Of course things go wrong, but these are guys who are close to the selection. They also have to make minutes in the competition. There will probably be matches in the competition in which Feyenoord will lead 3-0 and that things are going well with this game. Put those guys in there.” Been: “They still have plenty of time. Too bad that Under-21 competition is on a different level. Hopefully they can get even more minutes this season.”