Sporting CP's teenage sensation Dário Essugo broke down in tears of happiness after becoming the youngest player in the club's history, aged 16 years and six days.
The youngster, who only signed his first professional contract with Los Leones last week, was brought on in the second-half of their Primeira Liga clash against Vitoria SC on Saturday night.
Essugo replaced club legend Joao Mario in the 84th minute and, although he was only given a few minutes to make an impact by manager Ruben Amorim, the teenager was understandably overwhelmed by the occasion.
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Ater the full-time whistle, the 16-year-old cried tears of joy as his teammates comforted him.
This is what football is all about. Wonderful scenes.
To put his highly-anticipated debut into context, the Odivelas-born midfielder was only 11-years-old when Portugal won the European Championships in 2016.
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Essugo, with tears in his eyes, spoke to the media after the final-whistle.
"It is an indescribable sensation, in which I always breathed in and always dreamed." he said.
"I have to thank everyone. It is only the beginning, to continue working and helping the club to achieve its goals. It is different to be playing at a senior level. They supported me and I was even more relaxed."
Sporting manager Ruben Amorim was certainly impressed with the teenager's performance as he aimed to send a message to the rest of the club's academy system.
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"Obviously I liked it, he is 16 years old," Amorim said.
"He had little competition, but he performed well. It is also a message for young people. Everyone will have an opportunity. It is a message for the group to understand. This is the future of Sporting.
"We have to start now and Dário is another example. "
Remember the name: Dário Essugo.
Topics: Football, Primeira Liga, Sporting CP
