15-year-old Mark Santos debuts for Levante and joins La Liga's youngest
The academy product debuted in the duel with Espanyol and found himself among La Liga's youngest debutants.
Mark Santos wrote a new page in Levante's history after this weekend debuting in La Liga at just 15 years and 288 days — the youngest player ever to appear for the club in the Spanish top flight.
The debut took place in the opening round of the championship against Espanyol. Under coach Luis Castro, Santos came on in the 64th minute, replacing Ivan Romero.
Although naturally a full-back, he was thrown into the fray on the left wing, showing his versatility and the confidence the coaching staff have in the academy graduate.
The text emphasizes that Santos "surpassed the Barcelona wonder, Lamine Yamal." It is also stated that Lamine Yamal had his professional debut at the age of 15 years and 290 days, "which means that Santos was two days older than him." We keep these data accurate as reported.
On the list of youngest debutants
With his appearance, Santos climbed into the elite list of youngest debutants in La Liga, taking a joint third place in the historical ranking of the youngest players in the Spanish first division.
- Luka Romero (Mallorca, season 2019/2020) – 15 years and 219 days
- Sanson (Celta, season 1939/1940) – 15 years and 255 days
- Mark Santos (Levante) and Pedro Irastorza (Donostia, 1933) – 15 years and 288 days
It is interesting that Santos shares third place with Pedro Irastorza, whose debut was recorded almost a century ago, which further highlights the rare nature of an early breakthrough into the first team. The challenge for Levante now is to guide his progress with attention to long-term development.
Photo: press material from the event
