Real Oviedo youngster Enzo Pérez made club history with his Segunda División debut. The midfielder came off the bench in the 81st minute against Granada this weekend, aged 17 years, 9 months and 10 days.
That appearance makes him the sixth-youngest player ever to debut for the first team in the second tier. The Oviedo-born player, who recently renewed his contract until 2029, played over ten minutes after replacing Youness. Manager Julián Calero had already given him minutes during the preseason.
The ranking for early debuts in Segunda is led by Jairo Álvarez, who first played at 16 years, 8 months and 6 days in the 2002-03 season. He is followed by Paco Fernández, now coach of Real Oviedo's women's team, who debuted and scored in 1985 aged 17 years, 5 months and 4 days.
The list is completed by Juan Mata father (17 years, 8 months, 19 days), Sergio Alejandro (17 years, 8 months, 22 days) and Álex Cardero (17 years, 9 months, 4 days). Pérez closes this historic top six. In La Liga, the youngest debutant for the club was Iván Casquero in 1995-96, at 16 years, 10 months and 12 days.
Enzo Pérez's debut comes during a period of adjustment in midfield. The last-minute injury to Aritz Aldasoro and the composition of the area influenced Calero's decision. Pérez will continue to wear a reserve team number, but his long-term renewal and these minutes indicate he is earning a place in the first-team rotation.
Enzo Pérez continues a family saga at Real Oviedo. His father, Óscar Pérez, was a footballer for the club in the early 2000s. Also, his younger brother Leo plays as a centre-back for the Juvenil B team.
The last time a father and son played for the blue first team was in the 1980s, with Iñaki and Enrique Marigil, sons of legend Julio Marigil. Enzo himself expressed his pride after the match: "It's a pride to be able to defend this shirt, I can only thank them for the trust," the footballer stated.
Real Oviedo has a youth academy that continues to produce talent. Pérez's debut is part of a club policy that bets on giving opportunities to homegrown youngsters. His renewal until 2029 is a sign of confidence in his projection.
Performance data for the youth players is available in our stats section. The team faces a long season where squad depth will be key, especially considering the fixtures calendar. The immediate objective is to keep adding points to climb the table.
