Cassiano Kiala follows in Paul Wanner’s footsteps, becoming the second youngest player to appear for Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich defender Cassiano Kiala wrote himself into the club's history books on Sunday evening when he came off the bench in their 4-0 win over Heidenheim.
By doing so, he became just the second 16-year-old to make a Bundesliga appearance for the club, after current PSV Eindhoven midfielder Paul Wanner, who departed Bayern over the summer.
Kiala’s Bundesliga debut came at 16 years and 344 days, meaning Wanner’s record as Bayern’s youngest ever player still stands at 16 years and 15 days.
Kiala replaced the experienced Dayot Upamecano in stoppage time of Bayern’s 13th win of the season, with coach Vincent Kompany reinforcing his faith in the club’s academy by also bringing on 17-year old Wisdom Mike, and another debutant in 18-year-old David Daiber.
Watch: Highlights of Bayern's win in Heidenheim
“Daiber and Kiala have been training with us for almost eight months,” said Kompany afterwards. “They’ve always been competing against players like Harry Kane and Joshua Kimmich in training and have gained experience. We knew we could trust them.”
Although neither Kiala nor Daiber managed to sweep Wanner’s title of Bayern’s youngest ever player away from him, they did mark their debuts with a win.
The Bundesliga leaders now head into the winter break with their eyes set on retaining their title, while Kiala & Co. will hope for a few more run-outs in the new year.
Related news
Bayern young guns praised after Spurs success
There was plenty of acclaim after Bayern's 4-0 friendly win for the champions' next generation that are looking ready to shine.
Who is Cassiano Kiala?
bundesliga.com has the lowdown on the talented centre-back called up to Bayern's FIFA Club World Cup squad...
Bayern stroll to win over Heidenheim
Unbeaten Bayern showcased their finishing efficiency with a comfortable win over Heidenheim.