After a solid preseason, Brian Madjo made a somewhat surprising appearance in Aston Villa’s starting lineup for the Super Cup final. Although the 17-year-old wasn’t able to win the title, he played his way into the spotlight against PSG.
Brian Madjo had already set his first UEFA Super Cup record on Wednesday evening, an hour before kickoff. By earning a spot in the starting lineup, the 17-year-old became the youngest player in Super Cup history to ever start a match. “He got the chance because he showed us that he can work hard and set high standards for himself,” said Villa coach Unai Emery. “It’s not just about scoring goals, but also about defense and how he engages tactically and behaves with discipline. He did that.”
And that’s not all. Standing over 1.90 meters tall and with the physical presence that comes with it, Madjo was a constant thorn in the side of the PSG defense, especially in the first half. They couldn’t contain the youngster on crosses from the right side. It was only Madjo’s poor finishing on promising header opportunities that meant it took until the 45th minute before he set his second record of the evening.
Madjo Ousts Kluivert from No. 1
Once again, it was a McGinn cross from the right that found Madjo at the far post, but this time the youngster finished with his left foot, sending the ball under the crossbar. With this goal, Madjo became the youngest Super Cup goal-scorer in history at 17 years and 212 days. He thus knocked Patrick Kluivert—who had scored for Ajax in 1996 at the age of 19 years and 220 days—off the top spot.
For Madjo, this is a meteoric rise, as after his winter transfer from Metz to Aston Villa, he was initially not allowed to play any games for the Premier League club’s first team during the second half of last season. He was handed a suspension by FIFA because, as an U-18 player, he was not allowed to complete an international transfer. However, Aston Villa successfully appealed the suspension, arguing that Madjo was born in London. The CAS ruled in early August that he was eligible to play for Aston Villa.
Madjo benefited during summer training camp from the fact that some of his competitors didn’t join training until later due to the World Cup. By scoring goals in the preseason friendlies, he earned a spot in the Super Cup lineup, and of course, his journey isn’t over yet: “You have to remain consistent and ambitious and continue at the same level as before,” said Emery, referring to Madjo and his 19-year-old teammate George Hemmings, who was also in the starting lineup against PSG.
Luxembourg or the Three Lions?
So, theoretically, Madjo could develop into one of the best Luxembourgish soccer players of all time. He has already made three senior international appearances for Luxembourg—though all of them were friendlies. The striker is currently playing for England’s U-17 team, and it seems far more realistic that he’ll eventually wear the Three Lions on his chest rather than actually becoming a Luxembourgish soccer hero. In addition to the possibility of playing for England and Luxembourg, Madjo also has the option of choosing Cameroon.
For now, however, he’ll be doing everything he can to secure regular playing time with Aston Villa’s first team in the upcoming Premier League season. Madjo could make a strong case for himself on Saturday (3:30 p.m.) when the friendly match in Gladbach is on the schedule. A week later, on Sunday (3:00 p.m.), Aston Villa’s regular league season kicks off with an away game in Brighton.