"It was almost a perfect night for the Scanlons when the 16-year-old Luca came on for his elder brother, James, to make his Gibraltar debut last month against the Faroe Islands, but there was a nagging problem. I told him the night before not to play my position, the older sibling jokes. Only 57 days after Luca's sweetest birthday, he became a full international."
"James is a right-footed winger who plays off the left and Luca is the opposite. It was a shock because I wasn't expecting it, says Luca, who is in the Burnley academy. I came on for him, which he wasn't too happy about. But James, a Manchester United Under-21s player, has recovered from the upset. I knew he'd be fine, James says. The players all liked him. They all knew what he was about as a player. I knew he had the backing from everyone."
"James has been a role model for Luca on the pitch, his 16 caps earned before he turned 19 last month and his international debut coming at the ripe old age of 17. He has played the Czech Republic and Croatia, whom he is set to face again on Sunday after Wednesday's friendly against New Caledonia, and played in a momentous draw against Wales. James has gone toeto-toe with Luka Modric, who is more than twice his age."
Luca Scanlon, 16, made his Gibraltar senior debut by replacing his older brother James shortly after his sixteenth birthday. Gibraltar head coach Scott Wiseman promoted Luca from the under-21s after inviting him to train with senior players. James plays as a right-footed winger on the left and has 16 caps, having debuted at 17 and faced teams such as the Czech Republic, Croatia and Wales. The brothers were identified early by Gibraltar youth development, with James attending an England camp before committing to his mother's country. Gibraltar relies heavily on its diaspora for talent and values early exposure to men's football.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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