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<p>Top 10 Age Gaps Revealed</p>
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<img alt="James Milner and Charalampos Kostoulas break record for the largest age gaps between assister and scorer in top-5 leagues" src="https://tmssl.akamaized.net//images/foto/galerie/age-gaps-spotlight-1761644958-181430.png" title="James Milner & Charalampos Kostoulas break record - Biggest age gaps between assister & scorer in top-5 leagues">
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<p>While age may be just a number, it took center stage on Saturday at Old Trafford as Manchester United secured a hard-fought 4-2 victory. The highlight came when 39-year-old James Milner assisted 18-year-old striker Charalampos Kostoulas for Brighton's second goal, setting a new record for the largest age gap between a goalscorer and his assister in Europe’s top five leagues since 2000.</p>
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<img alt="" height="629" src="https://tmssl.akamaized.net//images/foto/newsansicht/man-utd-v-brighton-1761642491-181422.png?lm=1761642501" width="503">
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<p>This remarkable moment illustrates the generational shift in football, showcasing a player born when Milner was already an established presence in the Premier League. Their achievement is part of a compelling list of intergenerational collaborations in soccer. With that in mind, let’s dive into the top 10 largest age gaps between goalscorers and assist providers across the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, and Ligue 1 this century.</p>
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<h2>The Largest Age Gaps Between Assister and Goal Scorer</h2>
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<p>The age difference between veteran Milner and his young teammate Kostoulas is an astounding 21 years and seven months—Milner debuted in November 2002 and had already played 138 Premier League matches by the time Kostoulas was born in May 2007. Coming in second are Brazilian defender Dante and young Algerian winger Badredine Bouanani, who teamed up in 2023—Dante was 39 and Bouanani just 18, creating a gap of 21 years and four months. Third on the list are Cristian Zapata and Roberto Sensini. Back in 2005, Sensini, at 39, assisted Zapata, who was only 19 at the time, resulting in a gap of 19 years and 11 months.</p>
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<img alt="" height="629" src="https://tmssl.akamaized.net//images/foto/newsansicht/generational-link-ups-1761646339-181441.png?lm=1761646454" width="503">
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<p>The complete top 10 is depicted in the graphic above, with several other notable pairings included. For instance, Lamine Yamal and Robert Lewandowski first combined for a goal in La Liga last year. At that time, the Polish striker was 35 while the Spaniard was only 16, resulting in an age gap of 18 years and 10 months. Veteran midfielder Luka Modrić appears twice in the top 10 for different teams; last month, he assisted 20-year-old Zachary Athekame at AC Milan, creating a gap of 19 years and three months, and earlier in 2023, he set up teenage Álvaro Rodríguez at Real Madrid, featuring an 18-year and 10-month gap.</p>
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