Meet Jack Porter – a record-breaking goalkeeper | News

Jack Porter will become the youngest player ever to start an Arsenal first-team match after being named in our line-up for tonight’s Carabao Cup tie against Bolton Wanderers.

The England U17 international goalkeeper is just 16 years and 72 days old, overtaking the previous record holder Cesc Fabregas, who was 16 years and 177 days old when he started a League Cup match against Rotherham United in October 2003.

Jack becomes the second youngest player to play in a first-team game for us, behind only Ethan Nwaneri, who broke the Premier League record in September 2022 at the age of 15 years and 181 days when he came on as a last-minute substitute against Brentford.

However, Jack will now be our youngest starter and goalkeeper – beating Malcolm Webster, who was 18 years and 308 days old when he played the first of six games for us in 1969 as a replacement for Bob Wilson.

Jack joined the club in 2020 and made four appearances for Jack Wilshere’s academy team in the U18 Premier League last season before signing a scholarship in the summer.

He has been selected for England’s Under-16 team and helped the Young Lions win the Football Federations Cup last season, conceding just one goal in three games in Spain. He has since been promoted to the Under-17s and made his debut at that level last month against Germany.

Last week he was named on our first-team bench for last Thursday’s Champions League match against Atalanta, having already been part of the travelling squad for the North London derby against Tottenham Hotspur and the match against Manchester City on Sunday.