Eintracht Frankfurt head coach Adi Hütter expressed his delight at 16-year-old Niko Ilicevic's historic Bundesliga debut following Sunday's 3-1 victory over Hamburg. Speaking at the post-match press conference, the Austrian trainer praised the youngster's extraordinary cameo and offered an amusing assessment of an incident involving Jonathan Burkardt.
Ilicevic's expected introduction at the age of 16 years and one day saw him equal Youssoufa Moukoko's record as the youngest player in Bundesliga history. The attacking midfielder also marked the occasion against the former club of his uncle, ex-Croatian international Ivo Ilicevic.
The youngster finally entered the match in second-half stoppage time, following an unusual delay that saw Hütter and Eintracht captain Robin Koch booked for their protests on the touchline. As detailed in our match report and player ratings , Ilicevic wasted little time making an impression, managing two efforts on goal before the final whistle.
"It was important that we could introduce Niko Ilicevic at the end," Hütter remarked at the post-match press conference. "It was great that we could get a World Champion like Mario Götze, a 34-year-old, and a 16-year-old on the pitch together. It's the way of Eintracht Frankfurt that we have a path available [for our younger players]. Elias Baum is one example. We also brought up Jeremiaha Maluze from the U21s. "
"Now we've got a 16-year-old from the academy," Hütter continued. "We can all profit from this. And it's very important for our young talents to see that, if they have talent and work hard enough, they can get their chance to show what they're capable of with the first team. That's what pleases me for the club, and that's how it will continue to be."
The teenager's confident introduction was not without a moment of friction. During one attacking sequence, Ilicevic elected against playing the ball to Burkardt, who made his displeasure clear. Asked about the episode and the youngster's overall performance, Hütter was full of praise.
"First of all, I think he showed far more in those six or seven minutes than anyone could reasonably expect," Hütter said. "What he showed in those few minutes was extraordinary. But I wasn't surprised, because he does exactly the same thing in training.
"And that incident also showed that Johnny wasn't exactly amused because he didn't receive the pass," Hütter continued. "But, as I've said, the lads will sort that out among themselves."
The incident nevertheless provided a memorable illustration of the confidence with which Ilicevic approached his first senior Bundesliga appearance. The 16-year-old showed little hesitation in taking responsibility himself, even with an established Germany international available as a passing option.
