Jeremy Monga came on for the final 16 minutes of Leicester’s defeat by Newcastle on Monday
Tom Mallows
BBC Sport journalist
Jeremy Monga became the second-youngest player in Premier League history when he made his Leicester City debut against Newcastle on Monday.
But what happened to the league’s other young stars?
BBC Sport looks at the five youngest debutants before Monga and what became of their careers.
Ethan Nwaneri – 15 years and 181 days
Ethan Nwaneri joined Arsenal at the age of eight
Ethan Nwaneri became the youngest player in Premier League history when he came off the bench for Arsenal aged 15 years and 181 days in 2022.
The English attacking midfielder, who was born in March 2007, was the first player under the age of 16 to play in the Premier League.
Two and a half years later and Nwaneri is now established in the first-team squad, making 31 appearances in all competitions this season.
He has also made two appearances for England Under-21s.
Harvey Elliott – 16 years and 30 days
Harvey Elliott had a spell with QPR’s academy before joining Fulham
Harvey Elliott was the previous record-holder when he played for Fulham in the Premier League aged 16 years and 30 days in 2019.
That summer the attacking midfielder moved to Liverpool, where he remains to this day.
Elliott has made 141 appearances in all competitions for the Reds, winning two EFL Cups, the Super Cup, Club World Cup and Community Shield.
He was also part of the England side that won the European Under-21 Championship in 2023.
Matthew Briggs – 16 years and 68 days
Matthew Briggs returned to school to sit his GCSE exams the day after he made his Fulham debut
Elliott eclipsed the record of Fulham defender Matthew Briggs, who was a late substitute on the final day of the 2006-07 season.
He made only 30 appearances in eight seasons at Craven Cottage before being released in 2013.
Spells at Millwall, Colchester, Barnet and Chesterfield followed, before Briggs moved into non-league then retired in 2023.
Briggs, who represented England from under-16 to under-21 level, made 17 senior appearances for Guyana.
Izzy Brown – 16 years and 117 days
Izzy Brown made his only senior appearance for Chelsea as a subsitute against former side West Brom in May 2015
Izzy Brown was 16 years and 117 days old when he made his debut for West Brom in 2013.
He joined Chelsea that summer but made only one appearance, spending time out on loan at Vitesse Arnhem, Rotherham, Huddersfield, Brighton, Leeds United, Luton and Sheffield Wednesday.
Released by Chelsea in 2021, he joined Preston on a one-year deal but never played for them, retiring in 2023 aged 26 because of an Achilles injury.
Aaron Lennon – 16 years and 129 days
Aaron Lennon (right) was 18 when he left Leeds for Tottenham in 2005
Aaron Lennon was 16 years and 129 days old when he came off the bench for Leeds United in 2003 against Tottenham, whom he would later join.
The winger carved out a successful top-flight career, making more than 500 Premier League appearances for Leeds, Spurs, Everton and Burnley.
His club career included a short spell at Turkish side Kayserispor before he retired aged 35 in 2022.
Lennon made 21 senior appearances for England and played at the 2006 and 2010 World Cups.
Best of the rest
There are plenty of other notable names inside the top 20 youngest Premier League players.
The most successful is Wayne Rooney, who was 16 years and 297 days old when he made his Everton debut in 2002.
Two years later he joined Manchester United, where he won 16 trophies and became their record scorer with 253 goals in 559 games.
The striker’s 120 England appearances is more than any other outfield player, and his 53 goals is second on the all-time list behind Harry Kane.
Jack Wilshere was 16 years and 256 days old when he made his Arsenal debut in 2008, going on to make 197 appearances and win two FA Cups.
The midfielder, who earned 34 England caps, also had spells at West Ham, Bolton, Bournemouth and Danish side AGF Aarhus.
He retired from playing aged 30 in 2023 and is currently first-team coach at Championship side Norwich.
James Milner has made almost 900 appearances since his debut for Leeds in 2003 aged 16 years and 310 days.
The midfielder has also played for Newcastle, Aston Villa, Manchester City and Liverpool, winning 12 trophies, including three Premier League titles and the Champions League.
He joined Brighton in 2023 and became the first player to play 23 Premier League seasons when he featured on the opening day of the 2024-25 campaign.
Are there rules for under-18 players?
As anyone under 18 is classed in law as a child, there are safeguarding rules that Premier League clubs must adhere to.
Monga had to play for Leicester in a blank shirt because they are sponsored by an online cryptocurrency gaming platform and gambling laws prohibit under-18s from displaying sponsors.
Clubs must give under-18 players the option to change separately from the other players and provide separate accommodation on away games.
A child may be paid a scholarship wage but cannot sign a professional contract until they turn 17, with a maximum length of three years.
