Youngest Premier League debutants

When Michael Obafemi came off the bench for Southampton to make his debut, he became the fourth youngest Irish player to appear in the Premier League, and one of only six to make their first appearance in the top division in England before their 18th birthday.

Winger Aaron Doran came off the bench for Blackburn to face Liverpool in April 2009, aged 17 years and 10 months. He would only make two more appearances for the Lancashire side, and (following a series of loan moves) made a permanent move to Inverness Caledonian Thistle in 2011

Willie Boland was 17 years, 8 months and 25 days when he made the first of his 63 appearances for Coventry (over seven years) as a second half substitute against Chelsea in May 1993. Following moves to Cardiff and Hartlepool, he came out of retirement for one final appearance for Limerick FC in the League of Ireland

Alan Maybury started for Leeds against Aston Villa in February 1995, aged 17 years, five months and 27 days, but was replaced by Mark Tinkler at half time. He played more than 400 games for several clubs before retiring in 2015 after a season with Falkirk

In August 1992, future Ireland U21 (and England C) cap Andy Turner made his debut for Tottenham against Southampton at the age of 17 years, four months and 24 days. His first goal for Spurs a month later made him the the youngest scorer in the competition until Michael Owen broke it in the 1996/97 season

Richard Dunne was the youngest player to appear for Everton since Joe Royle in 1966 when he started an FA Cup third round tie against Swindon in January 1997, before making his first appearance in the Premier League a week later against Sheffield Wednesday three months and 22 days after his seventeeth birthday

Less than a month after his seventeenth birthday, Stephen Carr was named in the Tottenham starting XI against Ipswich in September 1993, still the youngest Irish player to appear in the Premier League

Player	Date of Birth	Debut	Home	Score	Away	Age
Stephen Carr	29th August 1976	29th September 1993	Ipswich Town	2-2	Tottenham	17y 27d
Richard Dunne	21st September 1979	11th January 1997	Sheffield Wednesday	2-1	Everton	17y 3m 22d
Andy Turner	23rd March 1975	15th August 1992	Southampton	0-0	Tottenham	17y 4m 24d
Alan Maybury	8th August 1978	3rd February 1996	Aston Villa	3-0	Leeds	17y 5m 27d
Michael Obafemi	6th July 2000	21st January 2018	Southampton	1-1	Tottenham	17y 6m 15d
Willie Boland	6th August 1975	1st May 1993	Chelsea	2-1	Coventry	17y 8m 25d
Aaron Doran	13th May 1991	11th April 2009	Liverpool	4-0	Blackburn	17y 10m 30d