“He is progressing remarkably well and possesses a great deal of talent. Given his impressive performances, we had no doubt that he was the strongest choice for this match.”
Anyadike is the third player in less than a year to set a new record as Cardiff’s youngest-ever player, succeeding Rob Tankiewicz, who was 16 years and 117 days old, and Axel Donczew, who was 15 years and 234 days old.
However, the teenage defender from Carmarthenshire does not hold the record as the youngest footballer to appear in the English Football League.
That distinction remains with Reuben Noble-Lazarus, a former Rochdale teammate of Barry-Murphy, who made his debut in 2008 at 15 years and 45 days old.
Having previously managed Manchester City’s youth side, Barry-Murphy recognises Cardiff’s responsibility to support Anyadike’s growth both on and off the pitch.
“Our task is to give him challenges that match his current ability while continuing to encourage him to reach higher levels,” he said.
“As was clear, he has an impressive physical presence for someone his age. He is capable of competing at a very high standard, so we must continue testing him and providing the demanding opportunities he needs.”
“We also need to keep teaching him how to develop the areas of his game that still require work, especially because he remains so young.”
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