Youngest Player to Play for Roma

One name stands apart — the youngest player to play for Roma—a legend whose story still echoes through Rome’s footballing halls. In this article, EquaGoal will guide you through that record, its context, competing claims, and what it tells us about Roma’s youth legacy.

Table of Contents

The Record Holder: Amedeo Amadei

When asking who is the youngest player to play for Roma, the undisputed name is Amedeo Amadei. Born in Frascati in 1921, Amadei made his Serie A debut for Roma on 2 May 1937, featuring in a 2–2 draw against Fiorentina. At that moment, he was just 15 years, 9 months and 6 days old — a mark that still places him among the youngest in Serie A history.

Not only did Amadei’s debut make him the youngest Roma player ever, but one week later he scored, becoming the youngest goalscorer in Serie A history — a record he retains to this day. edia])

Over the years, his status as “the youngest player to play for Roma” has become part of the club’s mythology, reinforced by his long and storied career with the Giallorossi.

Other Notable Debuts: Close Challengers

While Amadei’s record is secure, several players have made Roma debuts at very young ages, either as academy graduates or fresh talents integrated into the first team. Here are some notable examples:

Stefano Okaka

Okaka joined Roma’s youth ranks and broke into the senior squad in 2005. He made his UEFA Cup debut at age 16 and shortly afterward appeared in Serie A at 16 years, 125 days.

While impressive, this debut is well past Amadei’s benchmark.

Niccolò Pisilli

Under José Mourinho’s tenure, Pisilli became one of the youngest academy products to debut for Roma. He made his Serie A bow in a match versus Inter, though older than 16.

Pisilli’s debut underscores a more modern trend — Roma trusting young talent — but doesn’t threaten the all-time record.

Dimitrios Keramitsis

Keramitsis, a Greek defender, was sent on in Serie A under Mourinho2022, making him among the youngest foreign debuts for Roma.

Again, impactful for his age and foreign origin, but not the “youngest ever.”

Mory Bamba

Bamba holds a youth-related mark: he made his European debut with Roma in a UEFA competition, becoming Roma’s youngest foreign-born player in Europe.

However, that is a different record — foreign-born / European competition — not the club’s youngest debut.

Understanding the “Youngest Player to Play for Roma” Claim

When dissecting this record, a few key factors must be clarified:

Official competition debut — Roma’s record refers to recognized senior competitive matches (e.g. Serie A), not just friendlies or youth games. Amadei’s debut was in Serie A. S Roma])
Appearances count — A single substitute appearance qualifies you. The record isn’t about starts or minutes, but first-team inclusion in a league match.
Historical consistency — Over decades, no younger debut has been widely accepted to topple Amadei’s record.
Serie A vs all competitions — Some players might debut younger in Coppa Italia, European or other tournaments, but those don’t uniformly override a league record unless proven.

In summary, Amadei’s claim remains solid under all sensible interpretations.

Roma’s Youth Culture: Past and Present

The fact that Amadei debuted at 15 is astounding by modern standards — yet in today’s game, it’s even harder for teenagers to break into first teams at top-level clubs. Some observations:

In the mid-20th century, clubs often had looser registration rules, and fewer formalized development layers, allowing exceptional youth to break through earlier.
Modern regulations (age limits, squad rules), commercial pressures, tactical complexity, and physical demands make clubs more cautious with teenage debuts.
Yet Roma continues to promote youth: players like Pisilli, Keramitsis, and others have been trusted under Mourinho and later managers.

Thus, the youngest player to play for Roma record serves as both a benchmark and a relic — a reminder of a different era and a target for future academy stars.

Top 5 Youngest Roma Debuts (Approximate)

Below is a speculative list of some of the youngest players to debut for Roma, based on available data. (Exact ages and ranking may vary by source.)

Rank	Player	Age at Debut	Competition / Notes
1	Amedeo Amadei	15y 9m 6d	Serie A
2	Pietro Pellegri*	15y (tied)	Made young Serie A debut, may tie record in some lists
3	Niccolò Pisilli	~16+	Under Mourinho, academy debut
4	Stefano Okaka	16y 125d	UEFA Cup / Serie A debut
5	Dimitrios Keramitsis	Mid-teens	Foreign earliest debut under Mourinho

*Pellegri’s figure appears in Serie A all-time youngest lists; some sources claim he equaled Amadei’s record in 2016.

These names reflect both past legends and modern youth hopefuls — demonstrating that Roma’s youth pipeline still produces opportunities, even if surpassing Amadei is a tall order.

Why This Record Still Matters

Historical prestige: Boy wonders become legends. Amadei’s record is part of Roma folklore.
Youth identity: It inspires the club’s academy — proving that even teenagers can make the leap.
Fan fascination: Fans love “record-breaking youngests” — it’s a narrative of guess and awe.
Benchmark for comparison: Whenever a new teenage debutant arrives, commentators will ask—“is he younger than Amadei?”

Final Thoughts

Today, the youngest player to play for Roma remains Amedeo Amadei, his debut at 15 years, 9 months, and 6 days still untouched in the club’s history. But that doesn’t diminish the value of newer talents like Pisilli, Keramitsis, or Okaka — who have each added their own youthful chapters to Roma’s legacy.

EquaGoal invites you to explore deeper: check Roma’s academy stars, compare youngest debut records across Serie A, and watch upcoming matches for fresh prospects challenging Amadei’s mark. If you want a “Top 10 youngest Roma players ever” or full youth vs senior pathway analysis, I’d be thrilled to write it next.