BARNSLEY substitute Reuben Noble-Lazarus is back in his school uniform today after becoming the youngest player to appear in the Football League at Portman Road last night.

Elvin King

BARNSLEY substitute Reuben Noble-Lazarus is back in his school uniform today after becoming the youngest player to appear in the Football League at Portman Road last night.

The striker is just 15 years and 45 days old, beating the previous record shared by Albert Geldard, for Bradford Park Avenue v Millwall in September 1929; and Ken Roberts, for Wrexham v Bradford Park Avenue in September 1951. Both were 15 years and 158 days.

Barnsley manager Simon Davey said: “We have now not scored for five games - hence bringing in the kid.

“He played for our youth teams under me from the age of 12 and scored at under-18 level against Sheffield United last Saturday.

“He has a huge talent, but he has only trained twice with the first team.

“He is back in school in Huddersfield today and he gets two days off a week to train coming straight from school in his uniform. The first team squad have taken him under their wing.”

Talking of last night's game Davey said: “'We definitely deserved something. We dominated the first half and created lots of chances.

“It says a lot when Richard Wright has come off as man of the match. It is frustrating, but that was never a 3-0 defeat when you look at that game.

“Heinz Muller has come in and apologised after his two mistakes. I am never going to criticise Heinz because he has been fantastic since I brought him in.”