Jayden Onia Seke becomes Anderlecht’s third‑youngest European scorer

While Seuls Lamptey and Lukaku entered the record books at a younger age, Jayden Onia Seke has now become Anderlecht’s third‑youngest scorer in the European Cup, doing so at 17 years, 5 months and 14 days in a decisive strike against Jagiellonia in the Jupiler Pro League fixture.

Record‑breaking goal

©Photo News captured the moment Seke curled the ball into the lower right corner of the Jagiellonia goalkeeper, sealing the goal that placed him third on the club’s European scoring list. The strike came in a match that saw Anderlecht fall behind but highlighted the youngster’s composure under pressure. It also marked his first goal in a European competition for the club.

Only Lamptey and Lukaku remain younger than Seke in Anderlecht’s European scoring history. Lamptey arrived at the club at 15, netted his first Belgian league goal at the same age and featured in the 2‑3 loss to AS Roma, where Anderlecht also suffered a 3‑0 first‑leg defeat. After three years at Anderlecht he moved to PSV but never replicated his early promise. Lukaku’s inaugural European Cup goal helped secure a celebrated victory at the Arena against Ajax, a match remembered for Toby Alderweireld’s defensive contribution.

Youngest professional debut

Beyond his European record, Seke is the youngest professional player in Belgian football history, debuting for the RSCA Futures at 15 years, 3 months and 8 days on 16 August 2024 against Deinze. That appearance set a longevity benchmark that still stands.

Last season he managed only one goal in 24 matches for the Futures, the strike coming against Lierse. The limited return underlines the contrast between his historic debut and his current scoring output.

Anderlecht reshapes Stroeykens' role as Bruno pushes him deeper

His progress through the national youth set‑ups has been modest, with few goals at that level. Yves Taildeman, specialist for Anderlecht and Diables rouges, noted that Seke sits third on the European scorer list while Lamptey remains the youngest.

"He has continued to work hard, I found that it was the right time to relaunch him," said Bruno after the match in Poland. Stroeykens added, "He went through a period where he learned to be patient. He managed it very well and still has a huge margin for improvement."

Potential to be overtaken

Future European fixtures against Salzburg and Crete could see Ojea or Nga Kana overtake Seke in the club’s youth scoring hierarchy. Ojea is three months younger, while Nga Kana is a month younger than Seke, meaning their next goal could reshuffle the rankings.

The juxtaposition of Seke’s record‑breaking achievement with his modest recent statistics highlights both his early promise and the challenges that lie ahead as he seeks to cement a regular place in Anderlecht’s senior squad.