Lazio youth player accused of being 42 has moved away from Italy

10 years-ago Joseph Minala signed for Lazio as a teenager, but was accused of looking much older, now, a decade on, he's left Italy for a new European country.

It's been nearly a decade since Minala became an internet sensation, in 2014, when a picture of the then Lazio youth player started going viral.

The midfielder certainly looked older than his then 17 years of age, with the teenager's face suggesting he'd certainly had a tough paper-route growing up.

Not only did he look older, a report on an African football website claimed that the teenager was in fact 42-years-old, leading to an investigation.

Minala was at the Stadio Olimpico from 2014 to 2021, although he actually only played four times in the senior team for the Biancocelesti in that time.

Instead he went on loan to several clubs in Italy, including Salernitana and Bari, making about 67 appearances, and a temporary move to Chinese Super League club Qingdao Huanghai in 2020.

Last summer, the Cameroon born player moved to Serie C side Olbia Calcio 1905, the team from the coastal city in northeast Sardinia, Olbia.

However, he had his one year contract terminated, by mutual consent, at the beginning of the year and has now moved to Latvia, to play in their top tier with FK Liepaja.

Minala, now 26, was on the bench earlier on Friday, as Liepaja defeated Super Nova 6-2 away from home, to go third in the Latvian Higher League.

Of course, if the accusations about him at the beginning of his career were true, then the former Lazio man would currently be about 52-years-old.

No matter what level of football, it would be pretty decent to be part of any squad for a professional side at that age, although he wouldn't be the oldest current player.

Japanese legend Kazuyoshi Miura is the record holder for the oldest current player at the top level, at the age of 56-years-old, putting Minala's fake age to shame!

The only active player left from the FIFA 96 game is into the 36th year of his professional career and has played for some 15 clubs in that time.

Last week he made his most recent debut, for Portuguese second-tier side Oliveirense, coming on as a 89th substitute in their 4-1 win over Academico Viseu.