Jack Porter, 16, breaks the record previously held by Cesc Fabregas, becoming the youngest player to start a game for Arsenal. He replaced David Raya during the Carabao Cup match against Bolton.
On September 25, 2024, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta included several senior players, such as Raheem Sterling and Declan Rice, but also selected three 17-year-olds and one 16-year-old for the starting lineup.
Porter, who just turned 16 in July, is now the youngest player to start a competitive game for the Gunners, achieving this at 16 years, two months, and 10 days old. The previous record was held by Fabregas, who started his first game for Arsenal 72 days after his 16th birthday in 2003.
For his debut, Porter was assigned the No. 92 jersey. With David Raya sidelined due to a thigh injury and Neto cup-tied, the only other goalkeeper in the matchday squad was 18-year-old Alexei Rojas.
While Porter is the youngest starter in Arsenal’s history, he is their second-youngest player overall; Ethan Nwaneri debuted as a substitute at just 15 years and 181 days in September 2022. Porter, who joined Arsenal in 2020, has represented England at U16 and U17 levels.
