Gillingham striker Luke Freeman made FA Cup history on Saturday, when he became the youngest ever player to feature in a Competition Proper match.

It came at Barnet's Underhill Stadium, where he came on for central defender Efe Sodje in the 75th minute of the Gills' First Round Proper tie with the Bees to set the new record.

At 15 years and 233 days, Freeman beat the record previously held by Lee Holmes by 44 days. Holmes, a Derby County midfielder, substituted for Adam Murray in the Rams' Third Round Proper tie at Brentford on 4 January 2003.

Both record-breaking youngsters finished on the losing side. Derby lost 1-0 at Griffin Park and Mark Stimson's Gillingham went down 2-1 at Underhill, after taking a first-half lead.

After the game, Freeman told his club's website, www.gillinghamfootballclub.co.uk: "It was a special moment for me and one I will always remember.

"I've scored a few goals for the youth team this year and things have been going well - but I was still shocked to get a chance at first-team level."

However, the youngest Gills player in history didn't become The FA Cup's youngest on Saturday.

For the competition as a whole, the record is still held by Worcester City's Andy Awford, who substituted in an away Third Round Qualifying tie against Boreham Wood on 10 October 1987 when he was just 15 years and 88 days old.