-
Analysis
- 40 minutes ago
Max Dowman is the youngest scorer in Premier League history - but who holds overall top-flight record?
Martin Macdonald
- 18 Mar 2026 07:01 CDT
- 3 min read
News
Max Dowman made history this past weekend when he became the youngest goalscorer in Premier League history at just 16 years and 73 days old.
And, his impact off the bench was certainly required for Arsenal as they were struggling to break the deadlock within the dying minutes against Everton, amid a tight title race with Manchester City.
In the 89th minute, Dowman sent a wicked cross to the back post that was smothered back into the danger area by Piero Hincapie, with Viktor Gyokeres positioned to pass into the empty net.
The 16-year-old would have the defining moment of his career so far in the 97th minute, however.
After Arsenal successfully defended an Everton corner, with Jordan Pickford inside the opposition box, Dowman collected possession and showed incredible composure to glide past a few Toffees players before charging downfield to pass into the empty net.
It was a moment that will be remembered if he turns into the superstar that Arsenal hope he will.
In the process of scoring, Dowman became the youngest goalscorer in Premier League history, overtaking James Vaughn, who scored for Everton at 16 years and 270 days old back in April of 2005.
However, the young man doesn't hold the overall English top-flight record.
That belongs to one Jason Dozzell, who opened his account for Ipswich against Coventry when he was 16 years and 57 days old in February of 1984.
"The record nearly got beaten this week by Max and records are there to be broken," Dozzell told the BBC.
"How he took his goal was quite amazing - the balance, the feet, the composure and the strength. So, I may have the record, but he's going be some player.
"These aren't going to come around very regularly, so I think my record's going to stand for quite a bit from now.
"The record has stood for 40-odd years and, I can't lie to you, it's a record that I'm very proud of - it's the goal I still remember vividly."
The 10 youngest goalscorers in Premier League history
| Player | Club | Age |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Max Dowman | Arsenal | 16y 73d |
| 3. James Vaughan | Everton | 16y 270d |
| 3. James Milner | Leeds | 16y 356d |
| 4. Wayne Rooney | Everton | 16y 360d |
| 5. Rio Ngumoha | Liverpool | 16y 361d |
| 6. Cesc Fabregas | Arsenal | 17y 113d |
| 7. Michael Owen | Liverpool | 17y 143d |
| 8. Andy Turner | Tottenham | 17y 166d |
| 9. Federico Macheda | Man Utd | 17y 226d |
| 10. Lewis Miley | Newcastle | 17y 229d |
'Dowman reminds me of Messi'
Dowman has earned plenty of praise from fans and pundits since his first senior goal on Saturday, but perhaps the most notable praise came from Premier League legend John Terry, who compared the youngster to Lionel Messi, considered by many to be the greatest player in history.
"Max Dowman. What a player, by the way," Terry said on TikTok. "16 years of age, almost 17, absolutely incredible.
"I watched him play against Chelsea about a year ago -- and I've not seen anyone glide past people like this man does, other than Messi.
"That's a big, big comparison, but this man is a proper talent and will play a big part in Arsenal's future, and also England's as well."
The FootballTransfers app
Check out FootballTransfers' new app for all of football's big storylines, transfer rumours and exclusive news in one convenient place directly on your mobile device.
The FootballTransfers app is available in the Apple App Store. Download here:
