Only 14 days after Western Sydney Wanderers youngster Talia Younis made history by becoming the youngest player ever to feature in the A-Leagues, her record has already been broken… by a teammate!
In the Wanderers’ very next game after Younis broke a record held by Sam Kerr for almost 15 years, coach Robbie Hooker introduced midfielder Ischia Brooking, aged 14 years and 347 days.
That’s 13 days younger than the previous mark set by Younis when she came off the bench in a 3-0 loss to Wellington Phoenix on October 22.
Brooking was on the pitch for just one minute, arriving as a 95th minute substitute, but she will forever be immortalised in A-Leagues history.
The 14-year-old joined the Wanderers last month and in the press release of her signing was labelled “one of Australia’s brightest talents” by then head coach Kat Smith, who has since departed the club.
Brooking was part of the Junior Matildas’ qualifying campaign for the AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup, playing a pivotal role and was crowned the U16s Player of the Tournament at the National Youth Championship for Girls in Coffs Harbour last year.
“Ischia is one of Australia’s brightest young talents, and we at Western Sydney Wanderers see massive potential in her and believe she’ll make her mark on the pro game,” Smith said.
“With good dribbling skills, a superb range of passing and a keen eye for goal from any distance, she is a joy to watch.
“We expect Ischia to take this opportunity to join the professional environment with a growth mindset and unwavering commitment to not only develop as an individual but also to contribute to the club’s goals.”
Upon joining the club, Brooking said: “The facilities here are incredible, so I definitely wanted to join the Wanderers the minute I came to the ground.
“Game time in general (in the Liberty A-Leagues) would be an honour, just to step on the pitch. Hopefully throughout my time at the Wanderers, I hope to get into the starting line-up.
“I’d like to thank my parents for inspiring me all the time, my brother and all my teammates for inspiring my every day at training.”
WATCH LIVE: THIS WEEK’S EPISODE OF DUB ZONE FROM 8.30PM AEST
Join Niav Owens, Teo Pellizzeri, Cath Cannuli and Teresa Polias to wrap up Round 3 on Dub Zone. Liberty A-League weekends will be even bigger this season ending with our dedicated Australian women’s football program every Sunday at 8:30pm AEDT.
