The EFL Cup has long been seen as a platform for emerging Premier League talent to make their mark, and this season is no exception. From future England stars Wayne Rooney, John Terry, and David Beckham all making their first-team debuts in the competition, to ‘Klopp’s Kids’ – a group of young Liverpool players who guided the Reds to the 2024 trophy – it has often provided a stage for youngsters to impress.
This season, an 18-year-old winger who has been compared to Kylian Mbappe, an exciting Swedish prospect, and a 16-year-old defender are among those to be handed their chance in the EFL Cup. BBC Sport takes a look at the latest crop of young talent to be handed their first-team debuts in the competition.
Among those making their mark is Arsenal’s teenage goalkeeper Jack Porter, who became the youngest player to start a match for Arsenal when he made his senior debut in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday. At 16 years and 72 days old, Porter replaced Cesc Fabregas – who played in this competition aged 16 years and 177 days in 2003 – as the youngest player to line up for the Gunners when they beat Bolton 5-1 in the third round.
Porter is highly rated by Arsenal and signed a scholarship with them in the summer, with Gunners boss Mikel Arteta saying the 16-year-old frequently trains with the first team. The England Under-17s player was part of the squad that traveled to Manchester City on Sunday and featured on the bench for Arsenal’s draw at Atalanta.
Porter has made six appearances for the Arsenal Under-18s, conceding 12 goals and keeping one clean sheet. Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta said: “We told him yesterday and he was over the moon. He spoke straightaway to his family and they were not prepared for that. It is a big step, a big occasion for them and I think they were nervous about it. But he reacted really well, he was really composed in training and his team-mates helped him, too. What an experience and what a way to break a record.”
Manchester City’s Young Prospects
Manchester City centre-half Kaden Braithwaite made his senior debut in Tuesday’s 2-1 victory over Watford. At 16 years and 229 days, he is the third-youngest player to make their full debut for the club and the youngest to ever be selected by Pep Guardiola since the Spaniard joined the club.
Manchester-born Braithwaite, who can also be deployed at left-back or drop in as a defensive midfielder where needed, is another product of City’s academy. Having joined at under-9s level, he made the step up to under-18s for the 2024-25 season, but prior to Monday had never trained with the first-team squad.
But as Guardiola looked to the academy to manage his squad in an increasingly packed schedule, the versatile youngster impressed the City boss enough to make the step up. Braithwaite has featured in all four of City’s under-18s games this season as well as playing for England’s under-17s where he scored in a 3-1 win over Germany in September.
Manchester United’s Emerging Talent
Manchester United midfielder Toby Collyer made a surprise appearance as a half-time substitute in their Premier League loss to Liverpool, but the 20-year-old made his full first-team debut in United’s 7-0 victory over Barnsley in the EFL Cup last week.
Collyer joined the Red Devils from Brighton in 2022 – the only signing made under former manager Ralf Rangnick – and has since been a regular for the under-21s. At Brighton, Collyer was praised for his attitude and work-rate, and signed a new contract with United this summer until 2027.
Primarily a defensive midfielder, Collyer’s performances in pre-season impressed boss Erik ten Hag and the academy graduate might enjoy a breakout season at Old Trafford this year.
Sweden midfielder Lucas Bergvall has already generated excitement since arriving at Tottenham in the summer for £8.5m from Swedish side Djurgarden, having turned down Barcelona to join the north London club. The deal was agreed in the winter transfer window, but the 18-year-old opted to stay in Sweden until the end of the season, seen by many as a sign of his maturity.
Arsenal’s Starlet Ethan Nwaneri
Ethan Nwaneri became the youngest player in Premier League history in 2022 when he made his debut for Arsenal as a substitute against Brentford, aged 15 years and 181 days. But that appearance did not mark his breakthrough into first-team football, sporadic top-flight appearances since.
Now 17, midfielder Nwaneri marked his first senior start for Arsenal with two goals in their EFL Cup victory over Bolton – his first goals for the club. He scored a superb curling strike from outside the box for England in their European Under-17 Championship group-stage victory over France, before his highlights reel went viral after a brilliant performance in the quarter-final against Italy.
Arteta, said: “It is another step. He is ahead of what anybody could expect. You can tell he is playing with a confidence and belief and an understanding of what he needs to do on the pitch. In his journey with the first team he is always ahead of what everybody expected and I expected, too. He deserves that and he is part of us so he will have the minutes.”
Manchester City’s Plan for the Future
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola said after his side’s victory over Watford he would play the second team in the EFL Cup going forward because of their busy schedule. That means plenty of opportunities for City’s plethora of academy talent – a system that has already produced the likes of Phil Foden, Rico Lewis, and James McAtee.
Along with Braithwaite, midfielder Nico O’Reilly, 19, was given the nod against Watford in the cup. After joining the academy as an eight-year-old, O’Reilly went on to play regularly for the under-18s in the 2021-22 season, winning the age group’s Premier League title.
Tottenham’s Breakout Star
Sweden midfielder Lucas Bergvall has already generated excitement since arriving at Tottenham in the summer for £8.5m from Swedish side Djurgarden, having turned down Barcelona to join the north London club.
The teenage midfielder has featured in four out of Spurs’ five Premier League matches this season, made his international debut in the Nations League in September, and was handed his first start in the 2-1 EFL Cup victory over Coventry last week. Bergvall is yet to fully adjust to life in the Premier League – goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario berated him after giving the ball away against Leicester – but manager Ange Postecoglou praised the youngster for his “fearlessness”.
Bergvall thinks of himself as a box-to-box midfielder, but will have to adjust to the pace of the top flight – and game time in the EFL Cup could prove vital.
Aston Villa winger Kadan Young made his senior debut for the club in their 2-1 victory over Wycombe Wanderers. The Erdington-born 18-year-old made the switch from local club Phoenix United to Villa’s under-13s and has remained at the Birmingham club ever since, signing a scholarship in 2022.
On the fringes of the first team for much of this season, Young was named in matchday squads against Everton and Wolves as well as featuring regularly for England’s youth sides. His pace down the wings and ability to beat a man caused one previous coach to draw comparisons to Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe.
Where Next for the Youngsters?
With the EFL Cup providing a stage for young players to make their mark, it will be interesting to see how these players develop in the future. Will they go on to become first-team regulars, or will they fade into obscurity? Only time will tell.
But for now, the EFL Cup has once again shown its importance in giving young players the opportunity to shine. And with the likes of Porter, Braithwaite, Collyer, and Nwaneri already making waves, the future of English football looks bright.