Glenavon manager Gary Hamilton has hailed history-making teen Christopher Atherton as the best player he has ever seen at 13 years of age.
Atherton became the youngest player to feature in a first-class match in the United Kingdom after coming on as a substitute in the League Cup on Tuesday night.
At just 13 years and 329 days old, he eclipsed the previous record set by Eamon Collins who was 14 years and 323 days old when he debuted for Blackpool back in September 1980.
Read more: NI League Cup RECAP as Dundela shock Crusaders and Glenavon teen makes history
Hamilton has watched Atherton progress through the ranks at Glenavon 's Academy, as the youngster plays in the same age group as his own son Callum.
"Christopher is a joy to watch, and he is a great kid. But the work he does away from training at Glenavon and the dedication he has to become a professional footballer is unbelievable," Hamilton told Glenavon's YouTube channel.
"And that's what separates him from a lot of the other kids at the academy. He works night and day at his game, he eats the right foods, goes to bed at the right time.
"He does everything he can to become a better footballer and give himself the best opportunity to become a professional footballer.
"I have been watching him for years, and for a long time I have said he is the best player I have seen at his age. Listen, he has a long way to go, but if he keeps going the way he is and keeps being humble....
"He has good parents who keep him humble. They don't get too far of themselves, like some parents do.
"They are a credit to him, and he is a credit to himself and his family, the way he works. He came on tonight and didn't give the ball away once."
Atherton's first touch was to tee up Matthew Snoddy for Glenavon's sixth goal in their 6-0 rout of Dollingstown. The 13-year-old almost scored himself in the first-round tie played at Mourneview Park.
"He was on for 15 minutes, and as a 13-year-old kid and a third year in school...a lot of us at that age would be dreaming of playing for a first team and thinking it is a million miles away," Hamilton added.
"But with him, I had no doubt that in a game like tonight if we got ahead then I could bring him on and that he would be comfortable enough.
"He came into training with the first team before the last match of last season but had to go and watch Celtic with his daddy, but he would have played in that game.
"It was the last game and we had already secured seventh place, so we planned giving his debut then which would have made him the youngest player in the world.
"But he will have to settle for being the youngest in the UK."
Hamilton added: "He is a special talent and there is a lot of interest in him from cross-channel clubs and I am not surprised at all.
"I came away from the game full of pride and joy. He has been here since four or five years of age and progressed right through. He is a quiet kid but he has confidence in his ability on the pitch.
"It is lovely to see one player come right through from that age and play for the first team."
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