Arsenal's young star Max Dowman has etched his name into the history books once again by becoming the youngest player to start a match in Premier League history. The 16-year-old was named in the starting XI by Mikel Arteta for the final game of the season against Crystal Palace, breaking a record that had stood for nearly two decades. This is reported by Goal.com .
The 2025-26 season was unforgettable for Arsenal, and Dowman capped off this successful run with another milestone. At 16 years and 144 days old, Max Dowman became the youngest starter in Premier League history at Selhurst Park. The occasion was made even more significant as the newly crowned champions were given a guard of honor by their opponents.
With this result, Dowman surpassed the record set by Jose Baxter, who debuted for Everton in 2008 at 16 years and 198 days old. The Arsenal academy graduate has shown rapid growth under Mikel Arteta, proving that age is just a number as he joined the first team's title celebrations.
The match against Crystal Palace is not the only achievement for the young talent this season. In August 2025, he became the youngest player to debut in the Premier League at 15 years and 235 days old. In November, he was recorded as the youngest player in Champions League history at 15 years and 308 days. In March, he scored against Everton to become the youngest goalscorer in the tournament's history at 16 years and 73 days.
Having participated in five league matches, Max Dowman is officially a Premier League winner. It has been a professional debut season that any 16-year-old could only dream of.
Read “Zamin” on Telegram!
