Thread by @jcdnifg

20 Years of NIFG - The Top 20s!

Day 20: Northern Ireland's Youngest Goalscorers

#GAWA #NornIron

20. Pater McParland
19 years, 340 days
First Goal: 31st March 1954 vs Wales (2 goals, debut)
Total #NornIron caps/goals: 34/10 (1954-1962)

19. Jimmy McKnight
19 years, 319 days
First goal: 16th March 1912 vs Scotland (debut)
Total Ireland caps/goals: 2/2 (1912-1913)

18. Michael O'Neill
19 years, 295 days
First goal: 26th April 1989 vs Malta
Total #NornIron caps/goals: 31/4 (1988-1996)

17. Tom Atcheson
19 years, 255 days
First goal: 4th June 2026
Total #NornIron caps/goals: 2/1 (2026-date*)

16. Keith Gillespie
19 years, 236 days
First goal: 12th October 1994 vs Austria
Total #NornIron caps/goals: 86/2 (1994-2008)

15. Davy "Boy" Martin
19 years, 227
First goal: 16th September 1933 vs Scotland (debut, 2 goals)
Total Ireland caps/goals: 10/3 (1933-1938)

14. Billy Lacey
19 years, 177 days
First goal: 20th March 1909 vs Wales
Total Ireland caps/goals: 23/3 (1909-1924)
Total Irish Free State caps/goals: 3/1 (1927-1930)

13. Jack Pyper
19 years, 56 days
First goal: 27th March 1897 vs Scotland
Total Ireland caps/goals: 7/2 (1897-1900)

12. Philip Mulryne
19 years, 41 days
First goal: 11th February 1997 vs Belgium (debut)
Total #NornIron caps/goals: 27/3 (1997-2005)

11. Kyle Lafferty
18 years, 334 days
First goal: 16th August 2006 vs Finland
Total #NornIron caps/goals: 89/20 (2006-2022)

10. Norman Kernaghan
18 years, 226 days
First goal: 11th March 1936 vs Wales (debut)
Total Ireland caps/goals: 3/2 (1936-1937)

9. George Best
18 years, 176 days
First goal: 14th November 1964 vs Switzerland
Total #NornIron caps: 37/9 (1964-1977)

8. Thomas Whiteside
18 years, 162 days
First goal: 7th March 1891 vs England (debut)
Total Ireland caps/goals: 1/1 (1891)

7. Norman Whiteside
18 years, 137 days
First goal 21st September 1983 vs Austria
Total #NornIron caps/goals: 38/9 (1982-1989)

6. Harry Johnston
First goal: 18 years, 99 days
First goal: 8th April 1927 vs Wales (debut, 2 goals)
Total Ireland caps/goals: 1/2 (1927)

5. Olphert Stanfield
18 years, 14 days
First goal: 12th March 1887 vs Wales
Total Ireland caps/goals: 30/11 (1887-1897)

4. William Dalton
18 years, 8 days
First goal: 24th March 1888 vs Scotland (debut)
Total Ireland caps/goals: 11/4 (1888-1894)

3. William "W.K." Gibson
17 years, 153 days
First goal: 3rd March 1894 vs England
Total Ireland caps/goals: 14/1 (1894-1902)

2. George Gaukrodger
17 years, 99 days
First goal: 16th March 1895 vs Wales
Total Ireland caps/goals: 1/1 (1895)

1. Sam Johnston
15 years, 160 days
First goal: 25th February 1882 vs Wales
Total Ireland caps/goals: 5/2 (1882-1886)
[scorer of Ireland's first international goal]

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