For as much as is a nostalgic game where we all love to remember the glory years of the past, it's also very much about looking forward to the future. Every season, fans happily pluck the most talented names from their club's academy and speculate on just how good they could one day be. The truth is, though, it's hard for young footballers to live up to that potential.
Just look at Chelsea in the 2023/24 season. They side in a December game against Crystal Palace, with an average age of just 22 years old. And while they won on that occasion, inconsistency has been a problem for the club ever since Todd Boehly employed a youth-focused transfer policy.
Whatever the reason, every now and then a teenager emerges on the scene at a club with just enough talent to earn the trust of their manager. In the , there have been numerous examples of this happening, and so here is a look at the ten youngest players in top-flight history, and where their careers have gone after making their first appearance in the competition. The 10 Youngest Players in Premier League History 1 Ethan Nwaneri Arsenal 15 years, 181 days old 2 Harvey Elliott Fulham 16 years, 30 days old 3 Matthew Briggs Fulham 16 years, 68 days old 4 Izzy Brown West Bromwich Albion 16 years, 117 days old 5 Aaron Lennon Leeds United 16 years, 129 days old 6 Jose Baxter Everton 16 years, 191 days old 7 Rushian Hepburn-Murphy Aston Villa 16 years, 176 days old 8 Gary McSheffrey Coventry City 16 years, 198 days old 9 Reece Oxford We.