One Scottish club among top 100 youngest teams in Europe

Kilmarnock have the 28th youngest team in Europe's top flight leagues this season, according to a new report.

Greg Taylor, left, has been a regular in the Kilmarnock starting XI this season. Picture: Ian Georgeson

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Research group CIES Football have compiled a top 100 list of the youngest first-team squads across the continent, which is ranked on the average age of players on the pitch.

Kilmarnock have an average age of 24.40 and are tied in 28th place with Rapid Vienna of Austria.

They are the only team in Scotland to make the list. There are no clubs from England’s Premier League.

The youngest side are Slovakian club Senica, who have an average age of 22.18. European giants Ajax are eighth on the list.

Meanwhile, fellow Ladbrokes Premiership side Hamilton Accies are the only Scottish club to rank in the top 100 of teams who rely on club-trained players, in a similar study conducted by CIES.

These homegrown talents have played 34.8 per cent of all Hamilton’s minutes this season.

To count as club-trained, players must have been employed by the club for at least three seasons between 15 and 21 years old.

Again it is a Slovakian side, FC Tatran, who lead the way with 75.5 per cent.