Shamrock Rovers' 15-year-old winger Kevin Zefi becomes youngest-ever League of Ireland scorer with Longford Town strike
Kevin Zefi pictured following Shamrock Rovers II's 2-2 draw with Drogheda United in 2020. Credit: Clare McCahill (ETPhotos)
15-year-old Kevin Zefi became the youngest goalscorer in League of Ireland history as he struck in the second half of Shamrock Rovers II’s 2-1 defeat to Longford Town on Friday night.
The Ireland under-15 international, who has been linked with moves to Inter Milan and PSV, scored his first goal in senior football late on as Rovers chased down a two-goal deficit.
At just 15 years and 206 days old, Zefi beat the previous record, set by Limerick’s Steven McGann in 2010, by almost half a year.
McGann had been 15 years and 358 days old when he scored as a substitute in Limerick’s 5-1 defeat of Athlone Town in the final game of the 2010 season.
Kevin Zefi scores his first League of Ireland goal at the age of 15 years 206 days. According to @StattoLOI, that beats the previous record set by Limerick's Steven McGann of 15 years, 358 days.
— Dave Donnelly (@YeSecondPost) September 4, 2020
Like McGann, Zefi’s potential has seen him fast-tracked through the underage ranks to the first team at a young age.
The midfielder made his senior bow in the first post-lockdown league game against Drogheda United in Tallaght Stadium, as a second-half sub, and has made four further appearances.
Zefi has drawn attention for his exploits with Jason Donohoe’s Ireland under-15 side, starring and scoring in wins over England under-15s and Australia under-17s in the past 12 months.
