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The Premier League has always provided a great platform for some stunning young talent. A large number of youngsters developed their game in England and went on to become world-class players.
With many English clubs focused on making the best out of their academy players, the quality of young footballers graduating has been quite high. In addition, scouting has been top-notch in bringing talented youngsters from around the world to England.
Scoring from a young age is always a healthy sign for an attacking footballer. The Premier League has had its share of talented youngsters who were very efficient in front of the goal from an early age.
Some of them were quite lethal before even crossing the age of 21. Without further ado, we take a look at the top players who were great goal-scorers at the age of 21 or prior to that.
#5 Romelu Lukaku
With Anderlecht in Belgium, Romelu Lukaku scored goals for fun. This helped him earn a move to Chelsea in the 2011-12 season but he was loaned out to West Bromwich Albion the following season.
Romelu Lukaku scored 17 goals that very season with the Baggies but despite that, was loaned out to Everton in the 2013-14 season. At the Merseyside club, the Belgian striker spent four seasons during which he scored 68 goals.
Before Lukaku crossed at the age of 21, he went on to score 41 goals in the Premier League. It was a shame that Chelsea didn't give him the rightful chance earlier but he is now back with them for a second spell and hopefully can prove his worth. He remains the only player on this list to still be actively playing the game.
#4 Chris Sutton
Chris Sutton is quite a popular figure in Scotland courtesy of his successful time with Celtic. Prior to that, the Englishman was a well-known face in the Premier League.
He started out his career with Norwich City, with whom he scored 33 goals. The English striker joined Blackburn Rovers in the 1994-95 season where he went on to win the league title in his very first season.
That season, Sutton scored 15 goals to help the Rovers. The English forward went on to score 46 goals in the league before growing older than 21.
#3 Wayne Rooney
Wayne Rooney was an explosive forward from his early days at Everton. Having come through the ranks at the Merseyside club, the Englishman impressed many with his dynamic performances in front of the goal.
While at Everton, Rooney went on to score 15 goals in two seasons before joining Manchester United in the 2004-05 season. With the Red Devils, the English forward only got better and became a goal-scoring machine.
To date, Wayne Rooney remains Manchester United's all-time top goal-scorer with 253 goals. The five-time Premier League champion scored 59 goals in the league before crossing the age of 21. In total, the Englishman has 208 league goals to his name, the second-highest in the competition's history.
#2 Michael Owen
Coming through the ranks at Liverpool, Michael Owen had an instant impact with the senior team. Since making his senior debut in the 1996-97 season, the English striker was among the goals throughout his time with the Reds.
With his smart positioning and clinical finishing, Owen was a deadly player in the opposition box. His impressive performances with Liverpool helped him win the 2001 Ballon d'Or.
Having scored 18 and 17 goals in the 1997-98 and 1998-99 seasons respectively, Owen won the Premier League Golden Boot on two consecutive occasions. Before growing older than 21, the Liverpool star scored 73 goals in England's top-division.
#1 Robbie Fowler
Like Michael Owen, Robbie Fowler too graduated from the Liverpool academy. Since making his debut in the 1993-94 season, the left-footed striker never had to look back.
In his 10 seasons with the Reds, Robbie Fowler went on to score 126 goals in 260 league appearances. His first four seasons with them turned out to be the most productive as he scored goals for fun.
It's a shame that his performances didn't help him win a Premier League title, but nevertheless he will always remain a fan favorite. Before crossing the age of 21, Fowler scored 82 goals in the league, doing better than any other young player in the department. To date, he remains Liverpool's all-time highest goal-scorer in the Premier League.
