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Teenage goalkeeper Jack Porter became the youngest player to start a match for Arsenal when he made his senior debut in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday.<\/b><\/p>\n
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<\/a>.<\/p>\n Seen by many as an inconvenience in an already congested calendar, the EFL Cup remains essential when it comes to blooding emerging Premier League talent.<\/p>\n 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 platform for youngsters to impress.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n BBC Sport takes a look at the latest crop of young talent to be handed their first-team debuts in the competition.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n