Romanian teenager Nicolae Armani Ilie signs first pro deal with Hercules Alicante

Nicolae Armani Ilie has signed his first professional contract with Hercules Alicante, becoming the youngest player in the club's academy history to achieve this milestone at the age of 16. The striker, who was born on 23 April 2010, was represented by agent Anamaria Prodan during the negotiations. Club officials decided to offer the professional deal to secure the talent of a player who has demonstrated impressive offensive performance in youth competitions.

Ilie was recently promoted from the Juvenil B squad to the Juvenil A team, where he competes against older opponents. His statistical record includes a shared top scorer title in the Preferente Cadete league last season, where he netted 24 goals in 26 matches alongside Pablo Canizares. In the current campaign, the Romanian forward has recorded three goals in seven appearances across both youth levels.

Supporters of Hercules Alicante have drawn parallels between Ilie and Abde Ezzalzouli, a Moroccan international who also emerged from the club's academy. Ezzalzouli joined the Hercules system in 2019 before transferring to Barcelona for 2 million euros in 2021. He later moved to Betis Sevilla in 2023 for a fee of 7.5 million euros and is currently valued at 40 million euros.

The comparison highlights the historical significance of Romanian players at the Spanish club. Ionel Dănciulescu, a former Romanian international, played for Hercules Alicante between 2009 and 2010. During his tenure, Dănciulescu scored 10 goals in 25 matches, establishing himself as one of the most notable Romanian footballers to represent the team.