S4 Lathallan School pupil Andrew Fasanya (15) has written his name into the Scottish football history books.
Coming off the bench during Aberdeen FC’s 3–0 Premier Sports Cup victory against Kelty Hearts, he has officially became the youngest player ever to represent Aberdeen FC’s first team at 15 years, 7 months, and 12 days old.
Andrew’s rise to professional football is made all the more remarkable given how recently his journey began. When he first moved to Scotland from Nigeria at the age of 10, he knew very little about the sport.
Yet, within just five years, the dynamic forward/striker has transformed into one of the country’s brightest young talents. After joining Aberdeen FC at U12 level, his rapid progression saw him make his U18 debut at just 13 years old.
Lightning quick and versatile, Andrew was recently chosen as one of only four Youth Academy players to earn a full-time academy contract with the Dons, alongside earning caps representing Scotland at youth level.
Reported in the Press & Journal after today’s match, Aberdeen manager Stephen Robinson said:
“Young Andrew has been with us all season. He’s trained almost every day with us and he’s a real talent.
The good thing about this cup is you can play 15-year-olds. You can’t play them in the league, so we wanted to get him involved because he doesn’t look out of place at all, strength-wise or ability-wise. And he’s a real prospect.”
Andrew has always been focused on the future and inspired by his dual heritage:
“My dream is to get to the highest level of football I can. For people to know how I started and how I developed to be one of the top players from Scotland and from Nigeria. And if I do achieve it, it will be huge not just for me but for everyone who has supported me in Nigeria and here.”
Andrew also credits the broader sporting environment at Lathallan School for shaping the mindset needed to perform at the highest level:
“The opportunities Lathallan has provided through several sports including rugby and cross-country have helped me develop values which will go on to help me in my football. Values such as discipline, mental toughness, confidence and character.”
Everyone at Lathallan School is immensely proud of Andrew’s historic achievement and looks forward to supporting him as his bright footballing career unfolds!