The kid is sixteen and already eating defenders for lunch

Stop scrolling through your Twitter feed for five minutes. We need to talk about Francesco Camarda. While the rest of us were struggling to get out of bed this morning, the sixteen-year-old was busy turning Celtic’s defense into a social media punchline during their latest preseason friendly.

You have seen the clips by now, surely. Two goals against a side that, for all their domestic quirks, actually has professional players on the pitch. Most guys his age are worried about passing their driver’s permit test or surviving sophomore algebra. Instead, he is finding pockets of space that simply shouldn't exist.

The instinct is real but the league is a different beast

Let’s put the brakes on the Ballon d’Or talk before we lose our minds. Putting a ball into the net in July when the grass is long and the legs are heavy is a long way from a Champions League night at the San Siro. We have been burned by 'wonderkids' before who look like Pele in exhibition matches and then disappear the second the real season begins.

Remember Alen Halilovic or Hachim Mastour? They had the YouTube highlight reels and the hype cycles that stretched from Milan to Barcelona. Camarda has the pedigree, sure, but his physical presence against grown men in a league that actually values tactical discipline is the true test. He looked sharp, but preseason matches are essentially glorified scrimmages where defensive intensity is optional.

His movement for the second goal was clinical, though. He drifted onto the blind side of the center-back, checked his run, and met the cross with the composure of a veteran hitting his prime. There is a coldness there that you cannot coach. You either have that predatory gene or you are just another striker running around hoping for a deflection.

Is this the era of the actual youth revolution

Milan is in a weird spot, and throwing a kid into the deep end seems like their only logical move. We watched St Johnstone struggle through their own growing pains earlier this week, as reported by various trackers of the Premier Sports Cup, and it serves as a reminder that momentum in football is fickle. If Milan’s senior squad doesn't click, the pressure on this boy is going to be astronomical.

It is not just about the goals; it is about how he holds the ball up. Most teenagers in the top flight look like they are terrified of getting tackled. Camarda seems to be inviting the challenge even when he is physically overmatched. If he stays focused, he could be the most important piece of business the club has done in a decade.

The price of hype is high. If he hits a wall in October—which he almost certainly will—the same fans currently screaming his name will be the ones calling for his loan spell in Serie C. That is the reality of the game today. You are a genius on Friday and a flop by the following Sunday.

Watching the transition from prospect to professional

I caught the highlights of the win against Celtic and the finishing was elite, though the positioning from the opposition was frankly amateur hour. A 2-0 lead in a friendly doesn't get you a trophy, but it does get you a spot in the starting eleven for the opening match of the league campaign. The competition for spots is fierce this year.

Watching him operate, I am reminded of those early Wayne Rooney days where everything just felt like a blur of uncontrolled energy. Camarda is different; he is measured. He doesn't sprint when a jog will do, and he doesn't shoot when a pass is the better option. That kind of footballing IQ at sixteen is rare, usually reserved for the freaks of nature who end up defining a generation.

If Milan is smart, they surround him with guys who know how to protect him. Throwing him into the meat grinder without a support system is how you ruin a career before it hits legal drinking age. We want to see him succeed because, let’s be honest, the sport is a lot more fun when a local kid is wrecking the establishment.

For now, put the hype on ice. Enjoy the two goals against Celtic, but don't act like he has conquered the continent yet. He has the tools to be a total nightmare for Serie A defenders, but until he does it on a freezing Tuesday night in November, keep the expectations somewhat tethered to the ground.