Youssoufa Moukoko: 6 Things to Know About Borussia Dortmund's 14-Year Old Goal Machine

In football, there are few things as exciting as a young striker who scores goals for fun, and Borussia Dortmund certainly have one of those in 14-year-old Youssoufa Moukoko.

In 25 games this season, how many goals do you think Moukoko managed for Dortmund's Under-17 side? 15? 20? Not even close. Moukoko shattered the national record by bagging 46 goals last season, proving he is one of the finest young prospects around.

If you don't already know his name, make sure you remember it. Here are six things to know about Youssoufa Moukoko.

He Has Scored Goals Against Under-17 Sides for Years

Jan Hetfleisch/GettyImages

Moukoko ended the season by striking a hat-trick in the first half of Dortmund Under-17s meeting with Duisburg, which is pretty impressive for a 14-year-old. However, it was just another day in the office for Moukoko.

Back when he was 12 (yes, 12), Moukoko netted twice against Schalke's Under-17 side to kick-start his rise to prominence, and he has never looked back. He managed 40 goals last season, but somehow beat that this time around.

This season, he has managed six separate three-goal hauls, and he even scored four on three different occasions. If you haven't figured it out yet, Moukoko scores goals.

Many Thought He Was Lying About His Age

Christof Koepsel/GettyImages

All logic suggests that someone of Moukoko's age simply should not be able to do what he does. Instead of accepting that he was just great at football, many decided that he must be at least a few years older than he claims to be.

There have been plenty of examples of African natives lying about their age in the past, but the Cameroon-born Moukoko is not one of them. The German Football Association even had their doubts but, after extensive meetings with Dortmund, they confirmed that Moukoko's age is correct.

Now that all that doubt is out of the way, we can focus on Moukoko banging in goals for fun.

He Already Has a Huge Nike Contract

Lukas Schulze/GettyImages

The news that a Dortmund star has signed a €10m Nike contract is hardly a shock, but things are a bit different when the player who has signed the deal is 14.

Bild state that Nike have moved quickly to secure his signature, and have even made the youngster a millionaire for doing so. He picked up €1m just for signing, and he can earn a further €9m if his career continues as expected.

That's not only the kind of figure that most kids his age can only dream about, but it's a pretty enviable amount to most professional athletes. Not bad.

He's Not Even Allowed to Play in the Bundesliga Yet

AFP Contributor/GettyImages

His ludicrous goalscoring record has left fans across the entire world desperate to see him in first-team action, but they will have to wait at least a few more years.

In the Bundesliga, players must be at least 16 years old before they can feature in competitive games, as long as they turn 17 before January 1 of the season in question. Even then, Germany's Jugendarbeitsschutzgesetz law prevents players of that age from working past 8pm, unless they obtain special permission from government officials.

So, by the looks of things, it might be a little while longer before he gets a run out for the first team.

He's a Physical Machine

Lukas Schulze/GettyImages

At 14, Moukoko still has years ahead of him to continue to grow and mature, which is a terrifying prospect for any of his future opponents.

Even at such a young age, Moukoko is incredibly quick and powerful, and he knows exactly how to use those traits to score goals and wreak havoc.

Most players will enjoy a huge growth spurt around Moukoko's age, which sounds like trouble for defenders. If people already think he's older than he really is, how are they going to feel when he continues to grow?

Barcelona Are Desperate to Sign Him

Lukas Schulze/GettyImages

If you're still not convinced by Moukoko, try listening to Barcelona, who are incredibly eager to sign the youngster.

Mundo Deportivo have previously reported that the Blaugrana have been monitoring his development for months, and Dortmund officials have been doing all they can to try hide him from the limelight.

The Bundesliga side have done all they can to try shield Moukoko's talents from the rest of the world, but he scores so many goals that it is simply not possible to do so.