Best Premier League teenage impacts debated after Rio Ngumoha and Max Dowman make history

Best Premier League teenage impacts debated after Rio Ngumoha and Max Dowman make history

Liverpool wonderkid Rio Ngumoha and Arsenal starlet Max Dowman both enjoyed memorable Premier League debuts over the bank holiday weekend, as the duo wrote their names in the history books

Rio Ngumoha scored a 100th-minute winner for Liverpool on Monday (Image: Getty Images)

This weekend, you probably felt old. On Saturday, a 15-year-old made his debut for Arsenal and on Monday, a 16-year-old scored the winning goal for Liverpool.

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Arsenal's Max Dowman - born on New Year's Eve in 2009 - dazzled in the Gunners' 5-0 victory over Leeds after coming on as a second-half substitute. Dowman won a penalty in front of the Emirates' North Bank, instantly endearing himself to the supporters who've heard so much about him in recent months.

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Then it was Rio Ngumoha's turn to steal the headlines. Brought on for his debut as Liverpool chased a winner in the dying embers of their clash with Newcastle, Ngumoha rifled home in the 100th minute at St James' Park to earn the Reds three precious points.

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Dowman and Ngumoha's history-making performances brought back memories of teenagers from yesteryear who also burst onto the scene. From THAT Wayne Rooney goal against Arsenal in 2002 to Robbie Fowler's four-minute and 33-second hat-trick eight years prior, there've been some incredible feats from youngsters down the years.

We asked the Mirror Football team to pick their most memorable impact from a teenager in Premier League history.

John Cross

It is still impossible to look past Wayne Rooney and his goal against Arsenal way back in October 2002. Rooney was five days short of his 17th birthday, it was an incredible strike and it ended Arsenal’s unbeaten run when they were such a dominant force.

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It got everyone talking about this generational talent, England's boy wonder and produced that iconic piece of commentary from Clive Tyldesley. "Remember the name - Wayne Rooney!"

Well, didn't we just. Rooney went on to have an incredible career for club and country and I just lived hearing him talk this week after Max Dowman made his debut for Arsenal aged 15 years and 234 days.

Rooney revealed he went back after games to play with his mates on the street, kicking a ball against the garages and just being one of the lads. I think Dowman, like Rooney, will be a generational talent. But he's not even Arsenal's youngest debutant. That feat belongs to Ethan Nwaneri.

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As for Rio Ngumoha, he is an incredible prospect. His finish was amazing against Newcastle. But to really make the impact, you have to have the career. And Rooney did.

What's the best moment from a teenager in Premier League history? Let us know your pick in the comments section.

Max Dowman made his Arsenal debut on Saturday (Image: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

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Chris McKenna

Everyone else will pick Wayne Rooney's goal against Arsenal for Everton that was the start of his rise to becoming one of England's greatest goalscorers, but one I always remember is James Milner's second goal in three days as a 16-year-old sub against Chelsea.

Milner, in a shirt so big it looked like they could fit two of him in it, took the ball at the edge of the area and cut back before firing it into the corner in December 2002.

He had become the league's youngest scorer just two days earlier but showed it would be no flash in the pan with a fine second. Milner is still playing now and his career has been such a huge success in three different decades.

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Wayne Rooney announced himself as a 16-year-old against Arsenal in 2002 (Image: PA)

Ben Husband

To a younger fan, he's now just that bloke off the telly that hates watching films and has the 'bravery' to throw apple cores into the bin. But teenage Michael Owen was genuinely one of the most exciting players I have ever seen.

At 18, he was joint top scorer in the Premier League, scoring 18 times in his first full season as a starter in '97-98. At the end of that season he was fourth in the Ballon d'Or rankings and recognised as one of the best players in the world.

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His pace was electrifying and his finishing deadly. And we don't even need to mention THAT goal against Argentina in the World Cup (I do, I always do).

Michael Owen was a revelation for Liverpool as a teenager (Image: Ross Kinnaird/ALLSPORT)

James Whaling

In April 1993, Sheffield Wednesday took on a Southampton side at Hillsborough in the Premier League, though their attentions were firmly elsewhere. They were six days away from playing Arsenal in the League Cup final, a competition they had won two years previous, still to this day the last side from outside of the top flight to win a major honour.

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Boss Trevor Francis rung the changes, including numerous young stars, one of whom was Chris Bart-Williams. The then 18-year-old had already begun to make his name but showed his talents with a stunning hat-trick as the Owls dispatched of the Saints 5-2. Only Michael Owen and Robbie Fowler have scored Premier League trebles at a younger age.

Wednesday would lose the Wembley showpiece 2-1, and would also go on to taste defeat in the FA Cup final after a replay to the same opponents, with Bart-Williams coming off the bench in both games.

The Bartman, as he was affectionately known, would also go on to play for Nottingham Forest and Charlton in the top flight. He tragically died in 2023, aged just 49, on the same day as his ex-boss Francis.

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Mark Jones

Rio Ngumoha has gone in at No.4 on the list of the youngest ever Premier League goalscorers after his St James' Park rescue act, and at No.12 is the player he most reminds me of.

Raheem Sterling was 17 years and 317 days old when he scored his first top-flight goal in Liverpool's 1-0 win over Reading in October 2012, and that set the tone for two years in which the teenager would emerge onto the national and international stage.

Liverpool's 2013-14 title tilt is now remembered for Luis Suarez's genius and Steven Gerrard's slip, but in the second half of the season it was powered by the energy, invention and intelligence of Sterling.

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He scored a brace in the 5-1 thrashing of Arsenal, a clever strike as Manchester City were beaten 3-2 and two more goals at Norwich - the game Gerrard had told his team to 'go again' for as the title came within agonising reach.

The latter years of Sterling's career may well be petering out, but if Ngumoha can produce a body of work akin to the four-time Premier League winner he'll have done very well indeed.

Raheem Sterling was a crucial part of Liverpool's title tilt in the 2013-14 season (Image: Getty)

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Nathan Ridley

To this day, it still feels like the most miraculous goal I've seen with my own eyes. In April 2009, Aston Villa looked to have staged a memorable comeback at Old Trafford to dent Manchester United's hopes of winning a third successive title and boost their own hopes of qualifying for the Champions League.

Martin O'Neill's side were excellent throughout but just after Gabriel Agbonlahor had given them the lead on the hour mark, I saw a the figure of a 6ft 17-year-old emerge from the home bench as Sir Alex Ferguson's behest: Federico Macheda. He was so unknown to eight-year-old me that I can't even remember if he was listed on the matchday programme (I'm sure it's somewhere in my attic).

Cristiano Ronaldo levelled the game with his second goal of the afternoon on 81 minutes and set us up for a blockbuster finish. Three minutes into stoppage time, United were probing for a goal to send them back up to first place above Liverpool.

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Captain Gary Neville bounded forward before Ryan Giggs fired the ball into Macheda. As Old Trafford held its breath, the Italian striker superbly turned Luke Young with one skilful touch and unleashed a shot which gave the sprawling Brad Friedel no chance in front of the Stretford End.

Bedlam. The loudest noise I'd ever heard. United were top again and it felt like the moment that the title was won - even though Macheda had to do it once more at Sunderland the following weekend.

His United career never came to anything and he's now playing in Greece, having failed to live up to his potential. But he achieved something which millions can only dream of, all by the age of 17.

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Federico Macheda took the roof off Old Trafford in 2009 (Image: Getty Images)

Oli Gamp

For me, it has to be Dele Alli's stunning touch, swivel and volleyed goal against Crystal Palace back in the 2015-16 season, when he was just 19 years of age playing for Tottenham. It has to go down as one of the greatest goals in Premier League history and the fact he did it at such a tender age underlined his incredible ability and potential.

This was a goal that really put him on the map. It was no fluke, either, and clearly something Alli had been working on in training - displaying how he oozed confidence and had an eye for the spectacular.

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After that, the world was his oyster. He had Sir Alex Ferguson drooling over him and soon became a key man for England, too. That was his first season in the Premier League and he finished the campaign with 10 strikes.

The following season he'd go on to net another 22, and there were more incredible goals in the years to come. It makes it all the more heartbreaking that his once-promising career has fizzled out.

Tom Victor

When West Ham effectively gave up on their European hopes by fielding a reserve side away to Astra Giurgiu in 2015, it was a big risk. Just three days later, though, one of the academy stars who didn’t travel to Romania showed just why manager Slaven Bilic was right to prioritise the league opener at Arsenal.

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Reece Oxford was 16 years and 237 days old when he started at the Emirates Stadium - a few months younger than Rio Ngumoha is today. Only 11 players have got Premier League minutes at a younger age, and even fewer have done so from the start of a match.

Ten of those 11 are attacking players, but Oxford had the much more high-pressure task of anchoring the Hammers midfield and keeping a prime Mesut Ozil quiet. He was arguably the best player on the pitch as Bilic's team won 2-0, and they only beat Arsenal one more time - home or away - in the next eight years.

Reece Oxford burst onto the scene for West Ham straight out of school (Image: AFP/Getty)

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Daniel Orme

I'm split between two here - and funnily enough they came in almost identical circumstances. They came for the same team, in the same stadium, in the same goal and both triggered an iconic moment of commentary from the legendary Martin Tyler.

Let's start with the most recent. After a much-anticipated £58million move from French side Monaco, then 19-year-old forward Anthony Martial was named on the bench for Manchester United against Liverpool.

He was eventually called upon in the second half and scored a sensational solo goal to secure victory against their bitter rivals. It would be tough to suggest that there have been any more satisfying starts to a career as a Red Devil.

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But I think Federico Macheda's contributions at the back-end of the 2008-09 season deserve to just about pip Martial's debut strike. The Italian, who was just 17 at the time, produced a stunning spin and finish to secure a dramatic comeback victory against Aston Villa. It's simply one of the all-time iconic Premier League moments.

To make things better, he then scored again against Sunderland a week later. And with United beating Liverpool to the title by four points, it's hard to argue against the fact that Macheda's goals got them over the line - and is surely the biggest impact in Premier League history by a teenager.

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