Youngest Euro Player: Jetro Willems sets world record (VIDEO)
KHARKIV, Ukraine -- Netherlands teenager Jetro Willems, who is 18 years and 71 days old, was selected at left back at the Euro 2012 Group B opener against Denmark
- setting the new world record for the Youngest Euro Player,
according to the World Record Academy: www.worldrecordacademy.com/. Photo: Jetro Willems became the youngest player in the history of the European Championship after being named in Holland's team to face Denmark in their Euro 2012 Group B opener. (enlarge photo)
The previous world record was set by Belgium's Enzo Scifo, who was 18 years and 115 days when he faced Yugoslavia at the 1984 edition.
The Guinness world record for the most vuvuzelas blown simultaneously was achieved by 12,511 spectators at the Vodacom Challenge soccer match at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
Guinness World Records also recognized the world record for the Largest collection of fotballs, set by Roberto. A. Fuglini (Argentina), who has 861 different soccer balls.
It was only the third international appearance for the teenager, who joined PSV from Sparta Rotterdam last August and did not play a single game in qualifying. He made his international debut against Bulgaria just a fortnight ago as a replacement for the injured Erik Pieters.
Willems, age 18 years and 71 days, was selected by coach Bert van Marwijk for the position left largely unclaimed since Giovanni van Bronckhorst retired after the World Cup final in 2010.
Willems lined up alongside Feyenoord's Ron Vlaar, selected to deputise for Joris Mathijsen at centre-back after the experienced Malaga defender was ruled out with a hamstring injury sustained in the 2-1 friendly loss to Bulgaria.
Bert van Marwijk, the Netherlands coach, praised Willems afterwards when he said: "I wasn't surprised that he started very well. It was a good feeling because everything was new for him and he did well."
Willems, incidentally, is 20 years younger than Kostas Chalkias, the Greece goalkeeper and oldest player in Poland and Ukraine at 38.
