Sporting CP's Debutant Could Break Cristiano Ronaldo's Goal Record

A Sporting CP wonderkid could break one of Cristiano Ronaldo’s goal records this season.

On Saturday, Dario Essugo set a new Sporting record after being brought in to replace Joao Mario in the middle of the game against Vitoria SC.

Essugo was exactly 16 years and six days old when he checked in to the game, dethroning Ronaldo as the club’s youngest first-team debutant, ESPN FC reported. He was fresh off a professional contract signing with Sporting when he achieved the remarkable feat,

The intense game turned into an emotional moment for both the Portuguese side and Essugo, who was reduced to tears as he entered the pitch.

Touched by the heart-warming scenery, other Sporting players on the field ran into Essugo to congratulate the youngster.

“It is an indescribable sensation, in which I always breathed in and always dreamed,” Essugo told reporters after the game. “I have to thank everyone. It is only the beginning, to continue working and helping the club to achieve its goals. It is different to be playing at a senior level. ”

“They supported me and I was even more relaxed,” he added.

What’s even more interesting, a goal this season can also make the teenager become Sporting’s youngest goalscorer of all time, an incredible feat that Ronaldo, who was 17 years, eight months and two days old at the time, has been holding for almost 19 years.

Sporting manager Ruben Amorim, on the other hand, is thrilled to have welcomed Essugo into the senior team.

According to Amorim, Essugo’s road to Sporting’s first team was no walk in the park as the teenager had to compete with a handful of talented players in the club’s academy.

However, the coach emphasized that Essugo serves as a great example of hard work and determination.

“Obviously I liked it, he is 16 years old,” Amorim said of Essugo.“He had little competition, but he performed well. It is also a message for young people. Everyone will have an opportunity. It is a message for the group to understand.”

Amorim further pointed out that the monumental debut of Essugo marks the rise of Sporting’s new breed of players.

“This is the future of Sporting,” the coach stated. “We have to start now and Dário [Essugo] is another example.”

Since the five-time Ballon d'Or winner's departure, Sporting has housed an array of exceptional players. It can be recalled that Bruno Fernandes, who is now playing for Manchester United, was once touted as the new Ronaldo.

Currently, Sporting has Pedro Goncalves, an attacking midfielder who is also tipped to follow the footsteps of Ronaldo.