Who is the youngest goalscorer in Premier League history?

TO be a footballer takes time, effort and dedication to reach the top flight of the Premier League

But after 15-year-old Max Dowman made his sensational Premier League debut against Leeds at the Emirates, it makes you think whether he was born to play.

ReutersMax Dowman became the second youngest Premier League debut against Leeds[/caption]

Dowman became the second youngest Premier League debutant in history in Arsenal‘s 5-0 victory over Leeds.

While he has not made the list for youngest goalscorer (yet…), Dowman underlined just how far he could go in the game as he came on at the Emirates and immediately made an impact.

He took numerous shots and eventually won a penalty for Arsenal’s fifth goal of the day.

Mikel Arteta told Sky Sports after the game: “We have to gather all the information. It’s how he reacts and deals with the situation, what his team-mates think about him – which is clear, because they kept on passing him the ball.

“It is great to be able to change the energy in the stadium by bringing him in and he had an impact. He won a penalty on his debut at the Emirates. That’s incredible.

“It’s credit, first of all, to his family, the way these kids have been raised, and the environment created. They are not overwhelmed by the environment and context.”

Following his debut, Dowman has joined an esteemed list of players whose names still carry huge significance in the sport.

Who is the youngest goalscorer in Premier League history?

James Vaughan is the youngest Premier League goalscorer in history and has held the record for over 20 years.

PA:Press AssociationJames Vaughan has held the record for over 20 years.[/caption]

Vaughan became the youngest Premier League scorer in April 2005, when he scored the fourth goal in a 4-0 win for Everton over Crystal Palace at Goodison Park.

This ended the club’s previous post-war record, held by Joe Royle.

Across just 51 more matches (47 with Everton) in the Premier League, Vaughan scored only six more goals, before a short spell at Norwich City in 2011-12 ended his career.

He is the youngest by 86 days.

His closest rival? James Milner, who had previously held the title as the youngest goalscorer.

The player who has retained their place in the top 10 the longest is former Balon d’Or winner, Michael Owen, who scored on his debut for Liverpool against Wimbledon at 17 years and 143 days old.

Michael Owen was among the goals straight from his Liverpool debut

The most recent addition to the list is Liverpool’s Rio Ngumoha, who made his debut in August 2025 at the age of 16 years and 361 days old, only missing out on the top three (and toppling Wayne Rooney) by two days.

The top 10

James Vaughan (Everton vs Crystal Palace on 10 April 2005) – 16 years, 270 days old

James Milner (Leeds United vs Sunderland on 26 December 2002) – 16 years, 356 days old

Wayne Rooney (Everton vs Arsenal on 19 October 2002) – 16 years, 360 days old

Rio Ngumoha (Liverpool vs Newcastle United on 25 August 2025) – 16 years, 361 days old

Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal vs Blackburn Rovers on 25 August 2004) – 17 years, 113 days old

Michael Owen (Liverpool vs Wimbledon on 6 May 1997) – 17 years, 143 days old

Andy Turner (Tottenham Hotspur vs Everton on 5 September 1992) – 17 years 166 days old

Federico Macheda (Manchester Utd vs Aston Villa on 5 April 2009) – 17 years, 226 days old

Lewis Miley (Newcastle United vs Fulham on 16 December 2023) – 17 years, 229 days old

Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest on 23 November 2024) – 17 years, 247 days old

Who is the youngest player to make their Premier League debut?

Arsenal’s Ethan Nwaneri holds the record for the youngest debut, at just 15 years and 181 days old.

GettyEthan Nwaneri was the first player to be in the Premier League at 15 years old.[/caption]

It was an historic achievement when he was introduced as a last-minute substitute in Arsenal’s 3-0 away win at Brentford in September 2022.

By doing so, Nwaneri not only became the youngest, but also the first player under 16 years old to play Premier League football.

Since then two more players, including Dowman, have made their debuts at 15 years old, with Jeremy Monga making his first apperance for Leicester City in the 2024/25 season.