At just 15 years old, Panos Armenakas is so highly sought after, it puts many older stars to shame.

Just shy of his 16th birthday, the young Greek Australian prodigy has pushed back other lucrative offers and signed to Serie A club Udinese.

He will be at the club for three years, becoming the youngest Australian to sign to a professional contract in Europe’s top five leagues.

The youngster will be joining players much older than he is in Udinese’s under 19 squad, with senior coach Andrea Stramaccioni, formerly of Inter Milan, watching his progress.

It’s no secret Armenakas has been a fan of the Italian leagues, playing for the AC Milan Academy in Australia and playing in Watford’s academy (which is owned by the same people that own Udinese).

The club was keen to grab Armenakas in 2012 when he started at Watford, but chose to let the then 13-year-old be closer to his parents, who live in London.

In Australia the youngster played for Sydney Olympic, once again playing with kids two years his senior.

His father is Greek Australian and his mother is American, meaning Armenakas qualifies to play for three countries internationally.

Source: SBS