A 16-year-old footballer registered with a Premier League club has been hit with a nine-month suspension after being found in possession of a growth hormone.
The player, who was 15 at the time of the offence, was charged by the Football Association in July 2020 with the ban issued last month by UK Anti-Doping.
UKAD said the suspension would run until May 7 after consideration was given to the time he was suspended.
Somatropin is a growth hormone that is banned at all times in sport under the World Anti-Doping Agency’s 2019 Prohibited List.
The substance was contained in a pen-type dispenser.
UKAD director of operations, Pat Myhill, said: “Athletes, their parents and the teams they play for, all have a role to play in helping to keep sport clean.
“This case demonstrates that the anti-doping rules apply to all athletes, regardless of age, and serves as an important reminder of the serious consequences that can apply if those rules are broken.
“If you are responsible for a young athlete, you should take a proactive approach to ensure their participation in clean sport and help to protect them from the risks of doping.”
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The player’s name and club were not published because of their age. The written decision stated that the player refused to divulge who had supplied the banned substance.
The FA pushed for a four-year ban, but the independent commission which heard the case expressed concern that no anti-doping education had been given to the player in this case.
“There was some suggestion during the evidence that a difference is made between young players who are scholars and those who are not,” the written reasons stated.
“The former receive anti-doping education as a matter of course and the latter may not receive any.
“If that is the case it represents a major failing in the system and needs to be rectified as a matter of urgency.”