Mowbray gambles on teen tyro

West Bromwich boss Tony Mowbray has included 15-year-old striker Lateef Elford-Alliyu in his squad for the FA Cup tie at Peterborough today.

If he takes the field, Elford-Alliyu — a replacement for the injured Ishmael Miller — will be the second youngest player in the competition's history.

He is just a week older than Luke Freeman, who appeared this season for Gillingham against Barnet, aged 15 years and 233 days.

Elford-Alliyu became West Bromwich's youngest player and scorer after netting from the halfway line in a pre-season victory at Stafford Rangers.

The schoolboy, who came to England from Nigeria as a child, originally joined West Bromwich as a member of their youth academy.

His four goals in 10 starts for the club's Under 18s this season saw him called into the reserves and selected for England's Under 16 Victory Shield squad.