Brighton glimpse bright future as Harry Howell makes first Premier League start | OneFootball

Brighton’s 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace offered scant consolation, yet Harry Howell’s first Premier League start suggested a promising trajectory. According to NY Times, the 17-year-old’s elevation was a rare bright spot at the Amex.

Evan Ferguson set the previous club mark in January 2023, starting and scoring aged 18 years 76 days at Everton. Howell first appeared as an 84th-minute substitute against Liverpool last May and, at 17 years 294 days, now becomes Brighton’s youngest Premier League starter.

Head coach Fabian Hurzeler deployed Howell on the right with 18-year-old Charalampos Kostoulas up front. The selection was labelled naive by Wayne Rooney, though Hurzeler underlined that training levels, not age, guide his choices and that both youngsters had earned his trust.

Howell signed his first professional deal in July to 2028, then impressed in the Carabao Cup with two assists and a goal. A back injury halted him, keeping him out of England’s Under-17 World Cup, before a December brace in the FA Youth Cup at Tottenham and January bench roles against Manchester City and Everton.

Against Palace he battled Tyrick Mitchell, showed tidy touches and work-rate, then made way for Yankuba Minteh. Captain Lewis Dunk expressed confidence in the teenager and urged the squad to raise levels after one win in 12 league matches. With Brajan Gruda back at RB Leipzig, Hurzeler may alternate Howell and the returning Minteh at Aston Villa on Wednesday and at Liverpool in the FA Cup on Saturday.

Source: NY Times