There were rumors that he might join Manchester City, but instead, 16-year-old Michael Noonan chose to sign his first professional contract with Shamrock Rovers, Ireland’s most successful club, leaving St. Patrick’s Athletic. Last night, he made a dream debut for his new team.
Shamrock faced Norwegian club Molde in the first leg of the Conference League knockout round play-offs. This was not only Noonan’s club debut but also his first appearance in a European competition. He played a crucial role in the match, both in reducing Molde to 10 men and securing the victory for Shamrock. In the 42nd minute, he forced Molde’s center-back Valdemar Lund into a foul that resulted in a red card. Then, in the 57th minute, Noonan scored the decisive goal from a Dylan Watts cross, securing a 1-0 win for his team.
Noonan’s goal made headlines for another reason—it broke a record. He is now the youngest goalscorer in the history of the UEFA Conference League, which began in 2021. At 16 years and 197 days old, he surpassed the previous record held by Scottish forward James Wilson, who scored for Heart of Midlothian against Moldova’s Petrocub at 17 years and 288 days old last December.
Across all UEFA club competitions, Noonan now ranks as the second-youngest goalscorer. His goal pushed Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku to third place, who scored for Anderlecht against Ajax in the Europa League at 16 years and 218 days in 2009. The all-time youngest scorer remains Ghanaian midfielder Nii Lamptey, who netted for Anderlecht against Roma in the 1991 UEFA Cup (now the Europa League) at just 16 years and 100 days.
This is a historic season for Shamrock Rovers, as they are the first Irish team to reach the knockout stage of a European competition. The second leg of their tie against Molde is set for next Thursday.
Shamrock coach Stephen Bradley had full confidence in Noonan, saying, “I had made the decision to play him a long time ago, but I only told him recently. Football is his life. When you combine that mindset with ability, you’re already halfway there.”
Noonan made his debut in the Irish Premier League for St. Patrick’s Athletic last October. According to Shamrock’s official website, he was the youngest-ever player to feature in St. Patrick’s senior team, making his first appearance at just 15 years and 9 months. He even had a trial with Manchester City.
