Fulham were being thrashed by Newcastle United on Sunday afternoon when 16-year-old Harvey Elliott was thrown into the fray for his second top-flight appearance.
Despite the toughest of introductions, the teenager performed admirably in the final quarter of an hour. In his first real Premier League test, Elliott looked at home on the pitch, giving the Cottagers hope for a promising season in the Championship.
Despite the massive disappointment that comes with relegation, Fulham will have the chance to bring many young players into the first team in the second tier.
Chief among these will be Elliott, who is an adventurous attacking midfielder who is not shy to make an impact. Against Newcastle, he chipped a lovely through ball forward to Ryan Sessegnon, which would have sent the winger clean through if not for a poor touch. The weight and loft on the ball was perfect, belying his youth.
Minutes later, the youngster received the ball on the right wing and cut inside, beating two defenders with neat feints before firing a low drive that was well saved by the goalkeeper.
The short cameo revealed that Fulham truly have a special player on their hands who could be set to star in Championship next season.
