First Year Middlesbrough Apprentice Luke Williams has become a record breaker by becoming Boro’s youngest player for more than a century.
The young forward etched his name in the record books when he replaced Jonathan Franks after 72 minutes of the recent 2-1 defeat at Barnsley.
At 16 years, five months and three weeks old, Williams became Boro’s youngest player since Tom Murray in 1905.
Speaking after the match the England youth international said;
“I really enjoyed it, it was class, unbelievable! I had no idea this was going be the day of my debut.”
“I didn’t know I was going on until the Manager told me to warm up and make sure I run!”
“He told me, ‘Do what you’ve been doing and enjoy it’. I did enjoy it, although I was disappointed we lost the game.”
Williams, who attended the same school as Boro legend Wilf Mannion, St Peter’s in South Bank, began the season hoping to establish himself in the Club’s Academy side.
But Gordon Strachan spotted his potential soon after joining the Club and since then he has been a regular in the first team squad.
“It’s all happened so fast, the Manager has taken me under his wing and given me my first chance,” said Williams. “This season I was just looking forward to playing for the U18s but now I hope to play for the first team as much as I can.”
