The prodigies of English football: Know the youngest Premier League players of all time

Ethan Nwaneri, at the age of 15 years and 181 days, became the youngest Premier League player. He debuted for Arsenal in a 3-0 win over Brentford in the Premier League 2022-23 season.

The record, previously held by Liverpool’s Harvey Elliot during his stint at Fulham in 2019, was broken at the 92nd-minute mark when Nwaneri subbed in by Mikel Arteta to a huge reception from Arsenal fans across the stadium. 

The young Ethan Nwaneri was quick through the ranks of the Arsenal youth academy. At the age of 14, he marked his under-18 debut with a goal against Reading and followed it up with several good performances.

As mentioned earlier, Harvey Elliot was previously the youngest Premier League player. He made his English top-flight debut at the age of 16 years and 30 days with Fulham in May 2019, coming on as an 88th-minute substitute against Wolverhampton Wanderers. Even though Fulham lost the match and eventually got relegated at the end of the season, Elliot gathered immense attention and was linked to various European heavyweights before sealing a move to Liverpool. 

Next up on the list of youngest Premier League players is Matthew Briggs. He made his debut with Fulham in May 2007, aged 16 years and 68 days. Once regarded as the next big thing in football, he majorly plied his trade in the lower leagues of the English football pyramid. The Englishman has played for the England national team’s youth set-ups before debuting for Guyana in March 2015.

Former Chelsea teenager Isaiah Brown is next on the list of youngest Premier League players. The versatile midfielder was once the brightest prospect. He made his Premier League debut with West Bromwich Albion in the 2012-13 campaign (his only appearance with WBA), before sealing a move to Chelsea in the following season.

Aaron Lennon is another young talent that was shone as a teenager. Lennon’s career highlight has to be his decade-long stint at Tottenham Hotspur, where he formed a formidable attacking force with notable names like Jermain Defoe, Gareth Bale, and Emmanuel Adebayor. He made his debut with Leeds United as a 16-year-old before moving to Spurs in 2005, the team against whom he debuted. Owing to his short height which gave him great agility and flexibility, he was brilliant on the flanks during his prime playing days.

Youngest Premier League players

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Featured photo: IAN KINGTON / AFP