What ever happened to the youngest goal scorers in the history of Europe's top five divisions?
An early career strike is enough to whet the appetite of supporters and get them dreaming of the emergence of the next superstar, but it doesn't always turn out that way - just ask Freddy Adu.
For some players, though, it marks the beginning of a fruitful career at the apex of the game.
In order to demonstrate the varying levels of success achieved by some of the game's breakthrough stars, here at GIVEMESPORT we've looked back at the youngest goal scorers in European history.
Focussing specifically on players who have scored following the1992/93 inception of the Premier League, we've ranked the 17 youngest scorers from England's top flight, the Bundesliga, La Liga, Serie A and Ligue 1 in descending order from oldest to youngest.
Let's take a look...
17. Bojan Krkic (17 years, 1 month 22 days)
The hype surrounding Bojan's breakthrough at Barcelona was real.
Many tipped him to become the next Lionel Messi, but such fabled comparisons are always likely to be misplaced.
On 20 October 2007 Bojan opened his Blaugrana account aged 17, one month and 22 days old.
His career, though, did not take off as many expected him to, and the now 30-year-old now plays for Montreal Impact having had mediocre spells with Ajax, Stoke City, Alaves, Roma, AC Milan and Mainz.
16. Stefano Okaka (17 years, 1 month, 8 days)
Stefano Okaka netted for Roma back in September 2006 as the capital outfit recorded a 3-1 win over Siena.
The centre-forward has never quite managed to establish a prolific return in his career, scoring just 32 Serie A goals in 162 games, while an underwhelming spell with Watford produced just five strikes in 39 games.
Now contracted to Udinese, the 31-year-old has two goals from eight games this season.
15. Eduardo Camavinga (Rennes - 17 years, 1 month, 5 days)
One of the most recent entries on the list, Eduardo Camavinga scored his first Rennes goal in December 2019.
The holding midfielder is widely considered to be one of the brightest prospects in the game, and recurring reports linking him with a move to a host of European giants suggest he's one to watch.
14. Florian Wirtz (17 years, 1 month, 3 days)
Florian Wirtz is one of just two Bundesliga entries here.
The jewel in Bayer Leverkusen's crown actually got off the mark against Bayern Munich during a 4-2 defeat in June 2020, making him a recent entry on the list.
At just 17 years of age, the attacking midfielder is now a regular in the Bundesliga and looks set for a glowing career in European football.
13. Kurt Zouma (17 years, 23 days)
Chelsea's Kurt Zouma made his breakthrough with Saint Etienne in France, where he notched his first goal just 23 days after turning 17.
The central defender's attacking threat has manifested in the Premier League this season, and it seems his eye for goal has always been a feature of his game.
Now 26, the France international has established himself as a first-team regular under Frank Lampard.
12. Khouma Babacar (17 years, 3 days)
Khouma Babacar scored for Fiorentina during a 3-0 win over Genoa back in 2010.
The auspicious signs for a potent career as a centre-forward have been realised to an extent, with a return of 39 goals in 128 Fiorentina appearances representing an impressive if not a touch understated record.
The Senegal international now plys his trade for Alanyaspor in the Turkish Super Lig.
11. Wayne Rooney (Everton - 16 years, 11 months, 25 days)
One of the most successful footballers in English football history requires little introduction.
His stunning, long range 90th minute wonder goal against Arsenal remains one of the Premier League's most iconic moments, and it marked the first of myriad world-class strikes during his storied career.
Following a lengthy and immensely successful time at Manchester United and brief spells with Everton and D.C United, the 35-year-old now plays his trade at Derby County, where he is also serving as interim manager.
10. James Milner (Leeds United - 16 years, 11 months, 22 days)
One of the many big-name stars of Leeds United's golden era around the turn of the millennium, James Milner scored an equalising goal away at Sunderland in 2002 before a Robbie Fowler penalty completed the turnaround for the travelling outfit.
Milner has since gone on to enjoy an incredible career and thrived during spells with Aston Villa, Manchester City and now Liverpool, where he continues to receive regular game time as both a right-back and central midfielder.
9. Xisco Nadal (Villarreal - 16 years, 11 months, 19 days)
A name you can be forgiven for forgetting.
Xisco Nadal scored for Villarreal in a 2-2 draw with Espanyol shortly before his 17th birthday, but it wasn't to be the start of a fruitful career in La Liga.
The winger only ended up making 81 appearances in the Spanish top-flight, adding just five more goals to his total before he retired at the age of 32 in 2018.
8. Ansu Fati (Barcelona - 16 years, 10 months, 0 days)
That Ansu Fati is now valued at £72m by Transfermarkt tells you everything you need to know about the velocity of his astronomical rise in just over twelve months.
One of the most promising talents to emerge from La Masia in recent years, the prodigious forward scored his first Barcelona goal in a 2-2 draw with Osasuna back in August 2019.
Now he's starting and scoring regularly both domestically and in Europe for Barcelona.
The sky's the limit for Fati.
7. Iker Muniain (Athletic Bilbao - 16 years, 9 months, 15 days)
It's rare for a player to spend the entirety of his career with one club but that's exactly what Iker Muniain has done.
The now 27-year-old opened his account for Athletic Bilbao back in October 2009, and he has since gone on to become a stalwart for the Basque outfit, making a whopping 436 appearances in a variety of attacking midfield positions.
6. James Vaughan (Everton - 16 years, 8 months, 27 days)
Remember James Vaughan? Another from the Everton books who showed raw promise when he burst onto the scene.
His goal during the Toffees' 4-0 win over Crystal Palace makes him the youngest Premier League scorer to this day, but the trajectory of his career doesn't align with his place in the history books.
The centre-forward has had a journeyman career and never quite managed to settle.
Now back on Merseyside with Tranmere Rovers, though, Vaughan is in red-hot form in League Two, scoring 12 goals in 18 games for the club this season.
5. M’Baye Niang (16 years, 4 months, 18 days)
M'Baye Niang scored his first senior goal for Caen just four months and 18 days after his 16th birthday, making him the second youngest scorer in Ligue 1 history.
Now 25, the centre-forward has had spells with a number of clubs in Europe - including AC Milan, Watford and Torino - but is now back in France playing his trade with Rennes.
4. Neal Maupay (Nice - 16 years, 4 months, 1 day)
Brighton & Hove Albion's mercurial striker got off the mark in dramatic circumstances.
Having been sent into the fray in the 87th minute during a Ligue 1 clash with Evian, Maupay notched a 91st minute winner to complete a turnaround from two-nil down for Claude Puel's Nice.
Now playing on the south coast for Graham Potter's side, the £16m man's form could well hold the key to Brighton's survival this season.
3. Fabrice Olinga (Malaga - 16 years, 3 months, 6 days)
Second in the list and sitting at the top of the La Liga perch is Fabrice Olinga, who scored his first senior goal during Malaga's 1-0 away win at Celta Vigo back in 2012.
The winger has since played in Cyprus and Italy but found his home at Belgian side Mouscron back in 2015.
Olinga remains contracted to the Jupiler Pro League side, but his modest return of goal contributions - five goals and 14 assists in 112 appearances - speaks to a mediocre career in a relatively uncompetitive division.
2. Pietro Pellegri (Genoa - 16 years, 2 months, 11 days)
Here's one to remember for the trivia whizzes and pub quiz enthusiasts of this world.
Back in 2017, Pietro Pellegri scored in Genoa's 3-2 defeat away at Roma just two months and 11 days after he'd turned 16.
After netting three Serie A goals in nine appearances, Monaco signed the teenager for £18.81m in 2018, but he's only made 16 senior appearances to date.
The wildly varying success enjoyed by the rest of the players on this list suggest that Pellegri's career could yet go either way.
Given his price-tag, though, the French side will be hoping to see some return on their investment in the coming years.
1. Youssoufa Moukoko (Borussia Dortmund - 16 years, 28 days)
The most recent entry on the list clinches top spot.
What a future Youssoufa Moukoko has in store.
Another off the Dortmund production line, Moukoko has all the hallmarks of a star in the making.
The velocity and accuracy of his first senior strike for Dortmund against Union Berlin earlier this month was staggering for a player of his age, with his near post effort leaving Union Berlin's Andreas Luthe with little hope between the sticks.
No player in Bundesliga history has bagged before their 17th birthday, which only makes Moukoko's achievement that bit more impressive.