AC Milan's record-breaking youngster scores brace as defending champions Italy pick up U19 European Championship victory over Northern Ireland

Camarda is highly-rated by the Italian giants and has already made his Serie A debut, coming off the bench against Fiorentina in November to become the league’s youngest-ever player at 15 years and 260 days.

He has long been pointed out as a prodigy having scored 485 goals in only 89 matches for AC Milan's academy – an average of over five per match – while he netted twice for the club’s U19s aged 14 and is the second-youngest player to register a UEFA Youth League brace following his double against Newcastle United last season.

After Camarda’s club teammate Kevin Zeroli – another youngster that has earned top-flight experience with the Rossoneri – had opened the scoring in the 15th minute, Camarda struck on the stroke of half-time to help the visitors take a two-goal advantage into the break.

Camarda fired in his second three minutes into the second-half as Italy maintained their perfect record in the competition after they also defeated Norway 2-1 on the opening day at Seaview, which means they’re now guaranteed to finish top of Group A.

Although Gareth McAuley’s side have only collected one point from their opening two matches, Northern Ireland’s youngsters still have everything to play for heading into Sunday’s final game against the Norwegians.

Victory could help them progress to the semi-final stage – which would also secure a spot at next year’s U20 World Cup in Chile – while finishing third would set up a play-off against the third-placed finishers in Group B for a ticket to South America.

McAuley made four changes from the side that drew 0-0 with Ukraine on Monday as Daithi McCallion, Lewis Trickett, Braiden Graham and Sam Glenfield were replaced by George Goodman, Dylan Stitt, Jack Doherty and Reece Evans.

After Italy had taken their early lead through Zeroli, who also scored earlier this week against Norway, Goodman was denied an equaliser 10 minutes later as Roma goalkeeper Renato Marin got down well to deny the Bradford City youngster.

Northern Ireland would be punished by the clinical Italians with Camarda – the U17 European Championship Player of the Tournament after helping Italy secure success last month – scoring moments prior to the break.

They came roaring out of the traps, netting a decisive third three minutes into the second-half to take the game beyond McAuley’s young charges, but they kept to their task and former Linfield youngster Graham forced Marin into another smart save after being introduced off the bench.

The result helped Bernardo Corradi’s side seal safe passage into the last-four, where France or Spain likely await, and they’ll fancy their chances of retaining the crown with players from some of Europe’s biggest clubs, including Borussia Dortmund, Juventus and Borussia Monchengladbach, in the ranks.