22/12/2024

Premier League's 10 youngest goalscorers ever - and what happened to them next

Miercoles 19 de Octubre del 2022

Premier League's 10 youngest goalscorers ever - and what happened to them next

From the likes of Wayne Rooney to a starlet who ended his career with a jaw-dropping 23 clubs when his career spiralled, the list includes cult heroes and Premier League stars

From the likes of Wayne Rooney to a starlet who ended his career with a jaw-dropping 23 clubs when his career spiralled, the list includes cult heroes and Premier League stars

Twenty years on from Wayne Rooney's historic goal first goal for Everton, we look back at the Premier League's youngest goalscorers and where they ended up.

From instantly recognisable names like James Milner and Michael Owen to the likes of Andy Turner and Daniel Jebbison, the list is a mix and match of Premier League heroes and has-beens.

One player even ended up in the depths of non-league football after being tipped as a future star, but not all managed to forge a historic career like Wayne Rooney did after he kicked off his career with an incredible first career goal.

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From zero to hero, the forward quickly transformed his future with the goal that foreshadowed his incredible career on and now off the pitch.

James Vaughan

The former Everton striker became the youngest-ever goalscorer when he came on for his debut as a substitute against Crystal Palace for the Toffees on April 10, 2005, and managed a goal in his side's 4-0 demolition at Goodison Park aged just 16 years and 271 days.

Despite looking like the next best thing, Vaughan's career wasn't quite what it was tipped to be with him going out on loan to four teams during his time on Merseyside before permanently moving to Norwich City.

What player did you have high hopes for but never fulfilled their potential? Let us know in the comments section below

James Vaughan scored the fourth goal for Everton against Cyrstal Palace and became the Premier league's youngest scorer
James Vaughan scored the fourth goal for Everton against Cyrstal Palace and became the Premier league's youngest scorer

Stints up and down the Football League led to him finishing his career back on Merseyside with a spell at Tranmere Rovers where he bagged 18 goals in 29 games.

James Milner

A much more household name than some of the players on the list, Milner is still playing his part in the Premier League with the now 36-year-old recently playing a key role in the Liverpool side that beat Premier League champions 1-0 at Anfield on Sunday.

Turn the clock back, however, and a wide-eyed Milner managed his first career goal for childhood club Leeds United on Boxing Day 2002 in his side's 2–1 win against Sunderland 16 years and 356 days old.

James Milner has forged a remarkable career spanning 20 years in the English top flight
James Milner has forged a remarkable career spanning 20 years in the English top flight

Since that goal the now English international has won a plethora of titles, getting his hands on the Premier League with both Manchester City and most recently Liverpool, as well as winning all there is to win for the Reds after plying his trade at Leeds, Newcastle and Aston Villa.

Wayne Rooney

Arguably the most recognisable name and goal on the list, with the Liverpool-born Evertonian having already been on the lips of Everton fans since his debut on the first game of the 2002/03 season.

The teenage sensation then managed to score the winner as Everton beat Arsenal thanks to the stoppage time strike on October 19, 2002, just five days before Rooney's 17th birthday.

The goal was one that has gone down in history, with Clive Tyldesley giving a commentary to remember as he exclaimed: "Remember the name, Wayne Rooney!"

Rooney went on to become both England's and Manchester United's leading all-time goalscorers before returning to Everton and to DC United where he is now manager.

Cesc Fabregas

Another big hitter in terms of names. The Spaniard quickly impressed when he appeared in the Arsenal team as a teenager and scored his first goal for the Gooners aged just 17 years and 113 days.

Despite netting for the Gunners in the League Cup before, his first Premier League goal came against Blackburn Rovers on August 25, 2004.

Fabregas stole the hearts of Arsenal fans when the midfielder broke onto the scene as a 16-year-old
Fabregas stole the hearts of Arsenal fans when the midfielder broke onto the scene as a 16-year-old

Having already been adored by both Arsene Wenger and Arsenal fans, the creative midfielder broke hearts when he returned to Barcelona in 2011 after eight years in North London.

After a spell back at the Catalan giants, Fabregas made a return to the English capital when he joined Chelsea. Since winning an array of accolades between the three sides he has gone under the radar since he joined Monaco and then Como in Serie B.

Michael Owen

Yet another household name who was tipped to become the best player in the history of the sport.

The Englishman had buckets of talent when he burst onto the scene at 17 for Liverpool and sits proudly as the fifth youngest goalscorer in the Premier League. Owen managed his first goal of many when he netted against Wimbledon on May 6, 1997.

Michael Owen's career was blighted with injuries after he lifted the Ballon d'Or
Michael Owen's career was blighted with injuries after he lifted the Ballon d'Or

The teenager lit up the league when he replaced the injured Robbie Fowler in the Liverpool team for the 1997/98 season as he scored 18 goals in the top flight. The striker continued to dazzle and won the Ballon d'Or in 2001 before sealing a move to Real Madrid.

He returned to England to play for Newcastle and battled injuries before joining Manchester United and then Stoke City before hanging his boots up and beginning his punditry career.

Andy Turner

The Englishman was tipped to be a massive success when he scored for Tottenham against Everton on September 5, 1992.

Aged just 17 years and 166 days, the teen was thought of highly but his career quickly spiralled. After a number of loan moves, he made the permanent switch to Portsmouth in 1996 where he made 40 appearances in two years but was moved on and made just two appearances at Crystal Palace before moving on to Wolves where he didn't even make it onto the pitch.

Turner ended up at Rotherham for two years where he was loaned out and then switched to Yeovil Town. After leaving Yeovil, the winger bounced around non-league teams from 2002 onwards before hanging up his boots after three years at Chasetown in 2008.

In total, journeyman Turner managed a jaw-dropping 23 clubs in his odd career.

Federico Macheda

One of the most recognisable names on the list but for the wrong reasons, Macheda failed miserably to live up to the hype.

The Italian burst onto the scene in 2009 when he scored the winner in injury time against Aston Villa on April 5 in a typical Fergie time 3-2 win aged 17 years and 226 days.

Macheda instantly stole headlines after scoring the last-minute goal on his debut but failed to make a lasting impact at Old Trafford, with him being loaned out across Europe before heading out the exit door in Manchester and heading to Cardiff City.

Macheda was tipped to be a serial goalscorer for United before failing to live up to the hype
Macheda was tipped to be a serial goalscorer for United before failing to live up to the hype

After a lacklustre two years in Wales, he headed back to his native Italy to play for Novara in 2016 before making the switch to Greece to play for Panathinaikos for four years until 2022. Macheda now plays his football in Turkey for Ankaragucu. Not quite the United legend.

Daniel Jebbison

The most recent goalscorer on the list, Daniel Jebbison has been making strides at Sheffield United and managed a goal just over a week on from his Premier League debut when he put the ball in the back of the net against Everton on May 16, 2021.

The Canadian-born English youth international was then loaned out to Burton Albion the next season and is currently still at Sheffield United where he is biding his time and working his way towards becoming a regular for the Blades.

Jebbison scored his first Premier League goal eight days after his league debut for Sheffield United
Jebbison scored his first Premier League goal eight days after his league debut for Sheffield United

Raheem Sterling

The Chelsea forward is known for his stellar career at Man City and now Chelsea but first made his name over in Merseyside playing for Liverpool and scored his first Premier League goal as a teenager under the watchful eye of Brendan Rodgers.

The exciting winger scored his first of many Premier League goals against Reading on October 20, 2012, aged 17 years and 317 days, with him becoming a regular in the Reds' side.

He then made a loud exit from Merseyside when he made the £50m switch to Manchester where he enjoyed a number of successful years, helping them lift the Premier League, FA Cup and League Cup before recently switching to a darker shade of blue in West London at Chelsea.

Sterling scored the his first goal for Liverpool in a 1-0 win at Anfield against Reading in 2012
Sterling scored the his first goal for Liverpool in a 1-0 win at Anfield against Reading in 2012

Mikael Forssell

The Finnish striker was tipped to be the most exciting footballer from the country in history and got his Chelsea career off to a flyer when he scored against Nottingham Forest just weeks after joining the West London side.

Currently, he sits 10th in the league's youngest goalscorer charts, with him bagging on February 20, 1999, against Forest. Although when Chris Sutton arrived at Stamford Bridge he was loaned out and never managed to kick on.

Forssell was loaned out twice to Crystal Palace, Borussia Monchengladbach and then two spells at Birmingham City in five years before moving to the Midlands permanently. After three years at Birmingham, he moved to Hannover 96 in Germany and then back to England when he joined Leeds.

He eventually hung his boots up at HIFK in Finland in 2017 after a journeyman career.

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