Belgium-born winger of Ghanaian descent, Jérémy Doku, has become the youngest player to start a knockout stage game for Belgium after being handed a starting role in Roberto Martinez’s team for the Euro 2020 Championship quarterfinal game against Italy.
Doku, 19, after Friday’s game, has become the youngest Red Devil ever to kick off a match with a direct elimination at a major tournament.
The ex-player of Anderlecht’s birthday is on May 27 and is therefore 19 years and 36 days at the time of the quarterfinals against Italy.
19 – Jéremy Doku (19y 36d) is the youngest player ever to start a knockout stage match for @BelRedDevils at a major tournament (World Cup/EUROs), the previous youngest was Divock Origi at the World Cup 2014 (19y 74d). Starlet. #BEL #EURO2020 #BELITA pic.twitter.com/foLo7n5RkU
— OptaJohan (@OptaJohan) July 2, 2021
This piece of history pure demonstrates Doku’s top talent in the French Ligue 1 at Rennes since joining them in October 2020.
Before Doku’s history today, it was Divock Origi who previously was the youngster to have ever played an international game for the Red Devils.
Origi was in the starting line-up in the eighth-finals against the United States at the 2014 World Cup, when he was 19 years and 74 days.
