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Football has become a very serious business, especially in the Premier League where competition is at its peak. With English clubs paying more attention to results than ever, managers have resorted to playing it safe by prioritizing experience over youth.
Nevertheless, there are certain times when some of these coaches break the pragmatic barrier and give opportunities to the young guns. This has led us to witness a handful of teenagers making history by appearing on the scene at a very tender age.
The likes of Wayne Rooney and Theo Walcott are good examples of players who made a huge impression in the English top-flight as young boys. However, there have been a couple of other names that did it even earlier in their careers. In line with that, we look at the top 5 youngest debutants the Premier League has seen.
#5 Jose Baxter – Everton (16 years, 6 months and 7 days old)
The Premier League was in awe when a 16-year-old Jose Baxter came on as a substitute for Everton against Blackburn on the opening day of the 2008/2009 season. The attacker impressed in his 12-minute stint on the pitch and was rewarded with a start in the Toffees' subsequent fixture.
Unfortunately, that was the highest point of Baxter's career. He failed to make a breakthrough at Goodison Park and could only rack up 15 appearances in five years. He later had stints with the likes of Oldham, Sheffield United and Plymouth Argyle but never got his career off the ground.
#4 Aaron Lennon (16 years, 4 months and 7 days old)
Aaron Lennon was signaled as one of the future stars of the Premier League following his appearance in the English top-flight as a 16-year-old kid in August 2003. The forward played his debut match for Leeds United in a 2-1 loss to Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane.
He continued to tread the right path, representing the English club in 11 league games that season. However, a financial crisis forced Leeds to sell their prized asset to Tottenham, where he eventually took off and made a name for himself.
Lennon enjoyed a successful spell with the Spurs, bagging 30 goals and 78 assists for the Premier League side across 10 campaigns. He won the League Cup with the club in 2008 and also represented England at both the 2006 and 2010 World Cups.
#3 Isaiah Brown - West Brom (16 years, 3 months and 27 days)
Isaiah Brown became the second youngest debutant in Premier League history at the time (third overall after Harvey Elliot's Fulham debut in 2018) when he featured in the last four minutes of West Brom's 3-2 defeat to Wigan Athletic on May 4, 2013. He was snapped up by Chelsea just two months later.
His spell at Stamford Bridge proved to be a disaster. Brown had to wait two years after making his debut before making another appearance in the Premier League, representing the Blues in a clash with his former club in the penultimate fixture of the 2014/2015 campaign.
The attacker has spent the last eight years in Chelsea's youth setup but has failed to progress into the senior team. He has had loan stints with the likes of Rotherham, Vitesse and Sheffield United.
#2 Matthew Briggs - Fulham (16 years, 2 months and 7 days old)
Like other players mentioned on this list, Matthew Briggs made his Premier League debut as a substitute for Fulham during a clash with Middlesbrough in the 2006/2007 campaign. His 13-minute cameo made headlines, but that was the only notable feat he achieved in his career.
It took Briggs three years to make another appearance in the Premier League, as his career went on a downslide afterward. He bagged just one goal for Fulham in 30 games before leaving and having spells with clubs like Watford, Bristol City, Colchester United, Barnet, Millwall and Leyton Orient.
#1 Harvey Elliot - Fulham (16 years and 1 month old)
Harvey Elliot remains the youngest debutant in the history of the Premier League. The attacker made his first appearance in the competition at just 16 years and a month old, coming on from the bench to represent Fulham in a clash with Wolverhampton Wanderers during the 2018-2019 campaign.
He left the club after playing just two league games to complete a move to Liverpool on July 28, 2019. Elliot made his debut for the Reds in a 2-0 victory against MK Dons in the League Cup.
The attacker spent the 2020/2021 campaign on loan at Blackburn, where he recorded seven goals and 11 assists in 42 games across all competitions. He returned to Anfield this summer and was rewarded with his first professional contract. So far, he has won three trophies, namely the Premier League, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup.
