The 33rd round of the Misli Premier League was marked by the debut of Amin Rzayev, who has yet to turn 16. The young Qarabag full-back has become the sixth teenager in the past 15 years to play in a Premier League match.
The careers of other 15-year-olds who debuted between 2010 and 2025 haven’t been particularly successful, Idman.biz reports..
While some of them earned national team caps, most couldn’t go beyond one or two appearances.
A talent who reached Sporting, Ronaldo’s former club
Among the youngest debutants listed by the PFL over the past 15 years, Budag Nasirov went the furthest. After starting his career at Turan, the talented midfielder spent two seasons with Sporting’s B team in Portugal but eventually returned home. He played for several Azerbaijani clubs, including Araz-Nakhchivan, Sumgayit, Kapaz, and Zira, before rejoining Turan Tovuz. Struggling with form and disciplinary issues, Nasirov faded from the football scene last year at 28, with just one senior national team cap.
An unfulfilled journey with Ravan
Second on the list is Anar Hasanov, a name unfamiliar to many. Debuting for Ravan in the 2012/13 season, the midfielder played just two league games and remained at the club for three more seasons. His professional career ended with only four official matches, and he stepped away from football alongside Ravan.
The Porto trialist
Another talent, Orkhan Aliyev, even reached Porto in Portugal, though only for trials with the reserve team, where he was not retained. Aliyev later had a short stint in Georgia with lower-league side Sioni and played for several Azerbaijani teams, including Sumgayit, Khazar Lankaran, Kapaz, Zira, and Araz-Nakhchivan. Last season, he made headlines by scoring three goals against Neftchi. Currently with Turan Tovuz, Aliyev is still fighting for a starting spot. Though called up to the national team, he has yet to debut.
Searching for success at Shafa
Elnur Jafarov’s career followed a similar trajectory. Now 28, he plays in the second division. After switching from Imishli (First Division) to Shafa (Second Division) last winter, he helped his new team gain promotion. Jafarov, who also played briefly abroad with Tondela (Portugal) and Dugopolje (Croatia), could never fully live up to his promise. In Azerbaijan, he has worn the jerseys of Khazar Lankaran, Neftchi, Shamakhi, Kapaz, and Karadag Lokbatan, and has one national team appearance.
Still some hope
Before Amin, the last under-16 Premier League debutant was Sabuhi Abdullazade. Now in his eighth season with Sumgayit, the loyal midfielder made his senior national team debut this year with two caps. While he has yet to break into one of the country’s top clubs or secure a move abroad, there’s still time for his career to advance.
FIFA agent: “Amin is lucky to be at Qarabag”
To better understand why early debuts often fail to lead to stardom, İdman.biz spoke to renowned Azerbaijani FIFA agent Vagif Heydarli. According to him, the key factor is the transitional stage of adolescence:
“At 15, a player is in a crucial period. Many look promising at that age but fade later, while others bloom later. This is a natural part of life — physically, mentally, emotionally, everything is changing. Development depends on many factors: surroundings, the club, and the support system.”
Heydarli disagrees with the notion that early debuts “burn out” players:
“I wouldn’t say it burns them out. It’s an individual matter. For some, it may happen; for others, it doesn’t. We can’t generalize.”
The FIFA agent believes Amin Rzayev has the conditions for a successful career:
“We wish Amin the best of luck. He’s fortunate to be at Qarabag, surrounded by experienced players, with a good team and coach. We believe he won’t face the same difficulties and will have a successful career.”
Vugar Kheyrullayev
Idman.biz
