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Chris Atherton made 32 senior appearances for Glenavon Chelsea academy player and former Glenavon midfielder Chris Atherton has switched his international allegiance from Northern Ireland to the Republic of Ireland. Atherton made history during his time at the Lurgan Blues in September 2022 when he became the youngest senior footballer in the United Kingdom at 13 years and 329 days old. The teenager has represented Northern Ireland at Under-16 and Under-17 level and scored one international goal. Atherton moved from Glenavon to Chelsea's academy in July 2025 before signing a professional contract in October and has been a regular in their U17 and U18 sides. The 17-year-old, who joined Glenavon's academy aged four, represented Northern Ireland as a youth ambassador at the announcement in Nyon for the UK and Ireland's successful bid to host Euro 2028 in October 2023. Speaking at the event, the then 14-year-old said he would "dream" of representing Northern Ireland at the finals of the competition and attending the announcement was a moment he would "remember forever". "Delighted for Christopher that this has finally went through, " his father Stephen wrote on X. "Thanks to all the people at the FAI for their help and support during this process. " The Irish FA have been contacted for comment. Atherton signs professional contract with Chelsea Who is new teenage Chelsea signing Chris Atherton? With Atherton used as the 'poster boy' for the Euro 2028 campaign, this announcement could be considered a big blow for Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland have made huge strides in progressing their youth players with the JD Academy, but how much can they afford to lose some of the young prospects who looked like they would push through into the senior set-up? Now, without Atherton, Northern Ireland have players such as Ceadach O'Neill at Arsenal, Michael Forbes, who is on loan from West Ham at Northampton, and George Feeney at Tottenham, across the water. Atherton may try to follow in the footsteps of the likes of Sean Moore, who switched to the Republic of Ireland and has featured at under-21 level after playing for Northern Ireland U18s. James Mc Clean, Shane Duffy and Darron Gibson all went on to establish themselves with the Republic of Ireland after switching from Northern Ireland. Atherton's fellow Glenavon product Mark Sykes made the same move, albeit he had two senior call-ups for Michael O'Neill's side at the time. T20 World Cup: Zimbabwe struggle to keep pace after India's batting fireworks Trump joke 'overshadows' US women's Olympic success A 'normal guy' doing 'brilliant' things - Lammens on life at Man Utd Tense family thriller starring James Nesbitt Traitors finalist Faraaz shares his goals for Ramadan 2026 The return of Kyla Harris and Lee Getty's messy, tender comedy Angela Scanlon deep-dives into the candidates' tasks and tactics Is Donley ready to fill NI's 'problem position'? What is Northern Ireland's record against Italy? 'Now feels like the right time to start family' 'We're not Johnny' - Prendergast forging own path Why Villa are this season's big overperformers 'I had some potential, but my personality was preventing me from reaching it' The 'rare combination' behind Britain's youngest F1 driver 'Darlings of Italian football' - how Atalanta salvaged national pride 'The day Brook showed he is an England leader' Scotland fans secure Fifa approval to wear sporrans at World Cup 'It would be catastrophic' - are Spurs too big to go down? 'Equal in decay' - Mayweather v Pacquiao is another boxing 'carnival' 'Historical moment' as Bodo/Glimt succeed against all odds Why has it gone so wrong for Aston Martin? Why Champions League return is crucial to Man Utd Five reasons for England's Six Nations slide Infantino sure of 'spectacular' World Cup in Mexico despite violence Five talking points from round three of Six Nations EFL's earliest-ever relegation - how Sheff Wed's sorry season unfolded 'Losing the dressing room' - what does it mean and how can it happen? Who are the winners and losers from F1 pre-season testing? How Hodgkinson broke a 23-year-old world record How safe is bare-knuckle boxing as it fights for mainstream appeal? Copyright © 2026 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.