You know what they say... goalscoring is the most difficult aspect of playing the beautiful game. As is the case of the Premier League being among the toughest divisions on offer, notching goal contributions – by way of goals and assists – is not for the faint-hearted. It comes natural to very few, and they've found their way onto this list, but for the majority: it's not as easy as they may initially hope.
Especially for those who move to England at such a young age, more often than not, it takes them a while to find their feet – that's barring the out-of-this-world hitmen such as Erling Haaland, of course.
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What cannot be thrown into disrepute, however, is the fact that managers search high and low for players that are naturally blessed in the final third. But which 10 players have reached a tally of 100 goals and assists at the youngest age? From Wayne Rooney to the latest addition to the very exclusive club, Bukayo Saka, the folks over at Opta Analyst have provided the numbers behind the genius.
10 Erling Haaland – 24 years, 237 days
erling haaland
We're certain: if Erling Haaland moved to the Premier League at an earlier age, there'd be no chance that he'd be so far down (10th) on this star-studded list. Likened to a robot due to how frequently his shots result in the net bulging, the 45-cap, 48-goal Norway international – who is among the best strikers in world football – has mastered the art of goalscoring at the age of 24 and 237 days.
That's the age he was when the 2000-born striker managed to notch 100 goal involvements. The majority of those, as expected, were as a result of him latching onto a ball from Kevin De Bruyne. As mentioned earlier, the fact that Manchester City sharpshooter Haaland – signed from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2022 – made his debut in England's top flight at 22 only harms his position on the list.
9 Harry Kane – 24 years, 120 days
Harry Kane
There's a whole host of goalscoring records that have been left in tatters at the feet of Harry Kane – which includes the English striker, 32, being the fastest player to reach 100 goals for a single club. It took him just 104 Bayern Munich outings to reach that landmark tally of strikes, but there was once a time when his goalscoring exploits were adored by those of a Tottenham Hotspur persuasion.
Now the wrong side of 30, Kane has shown little to no signs of the goals drying up, but that was evident when he burst onto the scene in England's top flight. His first full season in the Premier League, which was 2013/14, saw him bag a total of 21 goals, and he then went on to notch no less than 17 for the next eight campaigns for the north Londoners. By 24 years and 120 days old, he had reached 100 goal involvements.
8 Raheem Sterling – 24 years, 57 days
Raheem Sterling 2015
Nowadays, Raheem Sterling is known for being frozen out by Enzo Maresca at Chelsea – but, once upon a time, there was a period where the English winger was unplayable for Manchester City. Even before his stint at the Etihad Stadium, when he plied his trade for Liverpool, Sterling was a prominent goal threat on either wing and earned himself 82 England caps, and 20 international goals, along the way.
Now 30 years of age and falling into obscurity, the four-time Premier League winner was trusted to man the wings from a young age by the likes of Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola – and it's, therefore, not too much of a shock to see him on this list. Kingston-born, Sterling reached the landmark at 24 years and 57 days old.
7 Bukayo Saka – 24 years, 29 days
bukayo saka arsenal
The latest footballer to join the list, Arsenal and England hotshot Bukayo Saka has been the north London outfit's poster boy ever since breaking through into senior proceedings under Mikel Arteta. Initially a left-back, the 24-year-old was afforded the chance to dance on the right wing – and neither party have looked back given he has commonly been their sole threat from an attacking perspective.
Ever since his breakthrough campaign in 2021/22, Saka – widely regarded as one of the best wingers in world football – has added more and more goal contributions to his well-rounded CV. His latest, a converted penalty against West Ham United, sees him among esteemed company as he was 24 years and 29 days old when his effort from 12 yards out bypassed Alphonse Areola.
6 Romelu Lukaku – 23 years, 267 days
Everton's Romelu Lukaku
A modern-day journeyman, Belgium's all-time top goalscorer (89 goals in 124 international caps) has historically struggled to settle and, as a result, has bounced from club to club throughout his career. From Everton to AS Roma, however, the Antwerp-born hitman has often been a guarantee of goals; and that's evidenced by his tally north of 300 club career goals.
Romelu Lukaku first rose to prominence in England by starring as a young and promising striker for West Bromwich Albion. What followed was a free-scoring, four-season spell at Everton and the goals kept flowing for the domineering Belgian; as a result, he's ranked sixth on this list.
5 Cristiano Ronaldo – 23 years, 267 days
cristiano ronaldo man utd
Incredibly, Cristiano Ronaldo reached the 100-goal contribution milestone when he was the same age as the aforementioned Lukaku. For many, of course, the Portuguese marksman will be remembered as Real Madrid royalty; but it was Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United that made him the footballer he has been over the years. In fact, the vision of a young Cristiano lighting up left-backs up and down the country will forever prevail the test of time.
Initially a winger thanks to his dazzling feet and wicked turn of pace, it wasn't until he left England that he turned into a goal-getting centre-forward and so his goal record in the infancy of his career cannot be scoffed at. It's also important to remember that he had to share the goals between the likes of Ruud van Nistelrooy and Diego Forlan.
4 Cesc Fabregas – 23 years, 237 days
A young Cesc Fabregas of Arsenal
A classy figure in the middle of the pitch, many forget how influential Cesc Fabregas was for Arsenal and Chelsea. To this day, his tally of 111 Premier League assists is only beaten by Ryan Giggs and Kevin De Bruyne – and many of those came within the first years of his career at the top of the English football pyramid.
The Spaniard reached the all-important milestone (with 35 goals and 65 assists) at 23 years and 237 days old – and, most impressively, he's the only non-forward to make the list. He largely operated from the engine room but that rarely prevented him from marauding forward and making the difference in the final third.
3 Robbie Fowler – 22 years, 166 days
Robbie Fowler
One of just three players who have reached a century of goal involvements in the Premier League before turning 23 is Robbie Fowler, whose most memorable spell in England came between 1992 and 2001 for Liverpool. Fowler faced competition from plenty of talented frontmen during his spell on Merseyside but his brilliant work ethic and potent nature in front of goal often saw him keep his spot.
Remarkably prolific at such a young age, Fowler may never have won the Premier League Golden Boot, but he was an instant hit with the Anfield faithful as he ignored the spotlight and netted for fun between 1993/94 and 1996/97. Altogether, he scored 163 goals in the Premier League – and he reached 100 goal contributions in the division before his 23rd birthday.
2 Wayne Rooney – 22 years, 122 days
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The direct opposite of a late bloomer – think Ian Wright, Jamie Vardy and the like – Rooney was a bulldozer of a centre-forward from the off. Irrespective of his tender age, the do-it-all striker came through the ranks at his boyhood club, Everton, before arriving at Old Trafford as one of the best teenagers in football history. Nobody could foresee the level of success that would follow the Liverpool-born man.
At Manchester United, Rooney became the club's all-time top goalscorer with 253 strikes in 559 outings and won five Premier League titles in that time period. Although it was in the Champions League, the striker-turned-manager's three-goal haul against Fenerbahce was the perfect indication that he'd be a menace in England's top flight. He's the second-youngest player to notch 100 goal contributions.
1 Michael Owen – 22 years, 57 days
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When you reflect that Michael Owen is the second-youngest Ballon d'Or winner of all time, the talisman-turned-pundit's place on this list is no surprise. Invariably compared to the aforementioned Fowler given they are a) from the same nation, England, and b) because they both came through the ranks on the red half of Merseyside, the ex-Manchester United and Liverpool striker was severely underrated.
Able to score from any angle like a superb centre-forward, Owen netted 222 times in his 482-match club career before hanging up his boots at 32. Injuries hampered his development and he'd lost a half-yard of pace – but in the infancy of his career, he was a hustler and bustler in the goals department. He had reached 100 Premier League goal contributions by the age of 22 years and 57 days.