Team
14.08.22
Omar Megeed youngest HSV professional in history
At 16 years and 359 days old, the youngster became the youngest player ever to play against Arminia Bielefeld.
When Omar Megeed removed his warm-up shirt shortly before the end of HSV's match against Arminia Bielefeld, it was clear that HSV history would be written in the next few moments. And this was not due to the sovereign 2:0 victory of the Rothosen at the Bundesliga relegated team, which was as good as in the bag at that point, but to the age of the Hamburg midfielder. When Tim Walter came on as a substitute for Robert Glatzel in the 89th minute and put his trust in Megeed, he became HSV's youngest-ever professional debutant at 16 years and 359 days, replacing Josha Vagnoman. The defender, who moved to VfB Stuttgart, remains the youngest Bundesliga professional when he celebrated his debut at 17 years and 89 days in 2018 in the match against Bayern Munich (0:6), but Megeed surpassed this record by a few days.
The Egyptian junior international, who joined HSV from FC Süderelbe in 2019 and has progressed through the club's youth teams from then on, will not celebrate his 17th birthday until next Friday (19 August). At 16.9 years old, he is only the 12th player to break the 17-year mark in the 1. and 2. Bundesliga. In the 2nd division, Megeed is fifth among all youngest debutants after Efe Kaan Sihlaroglu (KSC, 16.4), Fabio Chiarodia (Werder Bremen, 16.5), Philipp Sonn (Darmstadt 98, 16.8) and Gunther Reeg (Darmstadt 98, 16.9).
"Great boy with good potential"
Coach and supporter Tim Walter then also had corresponding praise. "Omar is totally grounded. He is a totally reserved boy who always has fire, listens to everyone and absorbs everything. He is a great boy who has very good facilities," said the football coach. Megeed, who could still play for the U19s, has been part of the professional team's training squad since the summer and made his first appearances in the test matches at the training camp in Styria. Now, with the substitution at the match in Bielefeld, there was the biggest award. But everyday life is also immediately present again: "We will hopefully still have a lot of joy with him, but we also need a little patience, so Omar will first play in the U19 tomorrow," Walter added in the press conference.