Sunderland youngster Zak Johnson was just 16 years and 141 days old when he made his debut in the red and white colours, breaking a 50-year-old outfield record on Wearside. The centre-half was an injury time substitute during Sunderland's Papa John's Trophy clash with Manchester United in October 2021.
The Black Cats ran out 2-1 winners in the competition with Lee Johnson giving a number of youngsters the opportunity to impress, having won the competition the year prior. “I had trained with the first team, but I was still a first-year scholar. It was the Manchester United game and I had been named on the bench for the first time,” Johnson told safc.com.
“No, I didn’t have any idea that I would [get onto the pitch]. I’d occasionally be sent out to warm up and at the time I thought even this is good enough, just being in the environment. And then I think it was in the 90 th minute, Lee Johnson sent me out specifically to warm up."
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“At that point I thought, because we were protecting a 2-1 lead and still looked quite comfortable, he might want to throw me on as a young player but also a defender. I got told in the first minute of stoppage time that I was going to come on, and I was there ready with my shirt on, number 58. And the ball wouldn’t go out of play! It was the longest time of my life just waiting on the touchline.
“I was wondering if the referee would blow the whistle. I came on in the 94 th for Stephen Wearne, who had headed the winner. As he came off the pitch and I realised I was going on in front of all the fans in a first-team game – to experience that at such a young age is something I’ll never forget.
“My dad picked me up after the game – Sunderland is in our family, and my dad knows all the facts about players. We were going through players and the ages they made their debuts, and he couldn’t name any more than two players who played before 16, and none in the last few decades.”
Johnson joined the academy at the Stadium of Light when he was just eight-years-old and has worked his way up through the ranks. After breaking one record, the Black Cats youngster is now eyeing more honours after becoming an ever present in Graeme Murty's Sunderland U21s.
“To then find out I’d broken the record in 50 years was very emotional – I’d been at the club almost all my life, supported the club all my life along with my family, and worked hard to reach that point which I believe is only the start.
“The next step was to earn my first professional contract – that was of course such a proud and surreal moment, as sometimes I feel like I’m still a scholar. But I have to get my head down, show that I’m a professional player on merit and I need to make sure I can be the best version of myself to push towards the first-team squad.
“I first went along to Sunderland at six, and again for good at eight – I was a right-winger, believe it or not. Then I was a right-back, and now primarily a centre-half. I’d been playing in the local Russell Foster Youth League and worked my way up. It just feels like a huge achievement and I know I’m only 17, but I want to make these years count.”
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