Yahoo Sports soccer contributors Christian Polanco and Alexis Guerreros discuss Cavan Sullivan’s MLS debut with Philadelphia. Hear the full conversation on the “The Cooligans” podcast – and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen.
Video Transcript
Kevin Sullivan of the Philadelphia Union becomes the, the, the the youngest uh player to ever make his pro debut.
And not just in major league soccer but in, in North American sports history.
What’s your immediate reaction?
Because I know like there, we, we could see one of the responses to this.
Uh, it says that is too young, burn out what happened when he’s real young, you sort of expect this.
But like if you know this was a regular thing and it was just happening every other week was all 1414 year olds don’t do this.
14 year olds with hands.
And it’s like, hey, should we, should we look into this a little bit?
These things happen?
What, once every 23 years, I mean, you know, I’m surprised it’s honestly happening to a player like Kevin Sullivan, um a male player because the we we’ve heard these stories, Wayne Rooney started when he was, he was, I think 15 or 16.
Also, Cavin kind of looks older.
The kid is uh extremely talented.
The scouts are all saying he’s basically, he’s going to man city, man.
It’s not official, official, but it’s official.
So here’s, but here’s what I’ll say and I think this is the difficult part of the game in, in, in sort of as we develop in this country.
At the, it feels like it internationally Europe is getting younger and younger.
You know, I look at, you know, uh Lamina Mall, look at, you know, Nico Williams is young, you look at Jude Bellingham is young.
All these players like these big superstars are starting very early, the peak is coming faster.
So we’re gonna have to catch up.
Gavin is slowly getting integrated into the first team very slowly.
They’re being a lot more thoughtful with it than they were in ready to do time.