The Aberdeen story behind new record holder Fletcher Boyd and why Dons won't get day off despite Hibs rout

Youngster has debut to remember at Easter Road

Aberdeen caretaker boss Peter Leven hailed Fletcher Boyd as the 16-year-old became Aberdeen’s youngest-ever goalscorer during the 4-0 win over Hibs.

The teenager came off the bench on 82 minutes to make his Dons debut and tapped home an Ester Sokler cross to put the icing on cake for the visitors, who had earlier put Hibs to the sword through goals via Leighton Clarkson, Dante Polvara and Bojan Miovski. Aberdeen are now on a seven-match unbeaten Premiership run and moved up to seventh in the table, with Boyd emphasising Leven’s mantra that “if you are good enough you are old enough” to play for the first team.

“He has been brilliant this season for the under-18ss and they won the league the other day,” said Leven on Boyd, who takes the youngest goalscorer record off Fraser Fyvie. “He has contributed to more than 30 goals in the 18s and has just turned 16. Just to get his debut is amazing but to score wow, he will never forget that.

Aberdeen caretaker boss Peter Leven hailed Fletcher Boyd for his goal on his debut.

“It 100 per cent shows if you are good enough you are old enough. There’s a pathway at this club as the academy has done amazing this year. It hopefully shows the other boys there is a pathway. I told him yesterday he would be in the squad. We obviously left him after Friday’s result and let him celebrate with his team-mates a little bit. Then we told him he was in the squad. Then I pulled him before we left that he is on the bench. The fans were unbelievable. I know we are bottom six but for them to turn up like that and sing the boy’s name ‘Fletcher Boyd, he’s one of our own’ is a fairytale for him.”

Leven has now challenged Aberdeen to finish the season in style and secure seventh spot. “They’re asking for a day off tomorrow but I said ‘no chance’,” added Leven. “We’ve got two games to try and win. That was the target I put to them and they bought into it.”