Most players can only dream of having a professional debut like Antonio Arena’s.
The 16-year-old Roma forward didn’t just score on his first senior appearance for the club, he found the net with his first touch in professional soccer.
It was a dream debut for the Australia youth international, who tied a Coppa Italia match against Torino with an 81st-minute header.
With Roma trailing 2-1, defender Wesley elevated a cross to the back post. Arena found space between two defenders and rose up to nod a header past goalkeeper Alberto Paleari.
Watch Arena score on Roma debut
Roma would end up losing the match 3-2 after Torino midfielder Emirhan İlkhan scored a 90th-minute winner.
Arena became the third-youngest goal scorer in Roma history with his debut header, finding the net one month shy of his 17th birthday.
“I went to the far post. I saw that Wesley was crossing the ball, it came right to my head and I scored,’ he said after the game. ‘It was a wonderful, unforgettable feeling.
“I want to become as good a player as possible. I want to work hard all the time. Nothing is going to change from today onwards. I will keep working as I have so far and focus on our next game.”
