Christopher Atherton (born 19 October 2008) is a Northern Irish footballer who plays as a midfielder for Glenavon.
[1] Atherton made his debut for Glenavon in a 6–0 Irish League Cup win against Dollingstown on 13 September 2022.
[2][3] In doing so, he became the youngest player ever in the United Kingdom, at 13 years and 329 days, breaking the record held by Scottish footballer Jordan Allan.
[3][4] The decision to play Atherton at such a young age drew criticism from some, with former Northern Irish international footballer Gareth McAuley disagreeing with the decision, suggesting that Glenavon had only handed Atherton his debut to garner a higher fee if he were to move to the academy of another side.
[1] He was called up to the Northern Ireland under-16 squad for a mini tournament in October 2022, playing against Finland and Estonia, scoring against the latter.