Will Peterborough United hand a senior debut to a 16 year-old before the end of the season?

Posh chairman Darragh MacAnthony, speaking on the latest edition of his ‘Hard Truth’ podcast, has hinted at a possible first-team debut before the end of the season for the teenager. Striker Shofowoke is just 16 and only 13 players aged 16 or under have made senior appearances for Posh in the club’s Football League era. Matthew Etherington is the sole 15 year-old in the list having made his debut on the final day of the 1996-97 season and current first team Ricky-Jade Jones is the most recent 16 year-old to play. He made his debut in an EFL Trophy tie against Arsenal Under 21s in October 2019.

Shofowoke has been in superb form all season scoring a reported 30 goals in 27 appearances. He still qualifies for under 16 matches, but plays mostly for the under 18s for whom he is top scorer. He scored all six goals in a 6-5 win for Posh Under 16s against Lincoln City earlier this season.

That form persuaded Posh to tie Shofowoke down and keep him from the clutches of big-club predators. MacAnthony revealed in his podcast every Premier League club had shown an interest in a player who can’t sign a professional contract until he is 17, but he has now signed a ‘pre-pro’ deal at the Weston Homes Stadium. Posh recently lost another prolific youth team striker Adler Nascimento to Premier League club Crystal Palace one first-team substitute appearance before they could get him to sign a professional deal.

Shofowoke, whose pace is said to be at Ricky-Jade Jones’ levels, was a high achiever at Murray Park School in Derby before signing a scholarship with Posh. He has trained with the Posh first team squad this year and his finishing skills are understood to have impressed manager Darren Ferguson.

MacAnthony has previously said he expected Shofowoke to challenge for a first-team place next season. There’s little chance he would appear this season until Posh have made certain of avoiding relegation from relegation.

Posh players aged 16 or under on debut (in order): Etherington, Charlie Coulson, Leo Da Silva Lopes, Nascimento, Jermaine Anderson, Kasey Douglas, Mark Heeley, David Billington, Keith Oakes, Andy Furnell, Jannai Gordon, Benjamin Mensah, Jones.