Myles Lewis-Skelly Just Scored on His England Debut — and Made History While Doing It
Mar 21 | 2025
via x.com
Stop what you’re doing. Myles Lewis-Skelly just scored on his senior England debut — and yes, it was as iconic as it sounds.
The 18-year-old Arsenal starlet has officially arrived on the international stage, netting the opening (and only) goal in England’s 1-0 win over Albania in their World Cup 2026 qualifier just minutes ago. And with that finish? He didn’t just help secure the win — he broke a 153-year record in the process.
At 18 years and 176 days old, Lewis-Skelly is now the youngest player to ever score on his England debut, beating out Marcus Rashford’s mark from 2016. Not bad company to be keeping, eh?
The Moment
Let’s set the scene: Wembley’s buzzing, England’s probing, Albania’s bunkered in. Then, in the 20th minute, Jude Bellingham — because of course — threads a beautiful ball through traffic. Out of nowhere, boom, there’s Lewis-Skelly tearing down the flank.
He takes one touch and coolly slots it through keeper Thomas Strakosha’s legs like he’s done this a hundred times before. It’s his first touch in the final third in a senior shirt, and it ends in the back of the net. Casual.
18 – Aged 18 years and 176 days, Myles Lewis-Skelly is the youngest player in history to score on his senior England debut, surpassing Marcus Rashford's record of 18 years and 209 days v Australia in May 2016. Rise. pic.twitter.com/wG4M3XLoDV
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 21, 2025
Who Is This Kid?
If you haven’t been paying attention, Lewis-Skelly has been quietly rising through the ranks at Arsenal — emphasis on quietly, because after tonight, that’s about to change.
He made his Premier League debut back in September 2024 and got his first goal for the Gunners just last month. Known for his versatility, maturity, and tireless work rate, the teenager has already drawn comparisons to everyone from Ashley Cole to Bukayo Saka.
But today? He carved out his own legacy.
Credit where credit’s due: Tuchel threw Lewis-Skelly into a World Cup qualifier on one of the biggest stages in football. That’s a bold move — but it’s clear the England boss sees something special in him.
This isn’t just a feel-good debut story. It’s a signal. England’s youth pipeline is overflowing with talent, and Lewis-Skelly just added his name to the list in permanent marker.
With the World Cup looming, this moment might be the start of something much bigger. Lewis-Skelly isn’t just knocking on the door — he kicked it down.
What’s Next?
For Lewis-Skelly, the spotlight just got a whole lot brighter. He’s likely earned more minutes in the next round of qualifiers — and if his composure today is anything to go by, we’re just scratching the surface of what this kid can do.
TL;DR:
Myles Lewis-Skelly just scored a beauty on his England debut, became the youngest player to ever do it, and lit up Wembley like it was scripted. Remember the name.
