Fastest Premier League players aged 21 or under in every position
The 2024/25 Premier League season gets underway in just over a week’s time.
England’s top flight has been rightly praised for its intensity, and those arriving from across Europe and elsewhere are often given a grace period to assimilate to the demands of the competition.
It is especially important for players aged 21 or younger. The development of these young players is crucial, and they must be carefully guided to avoid overplaying during their formative years if they are to have a long and successful career.
Even so, the most exciting players in the league can be found in this category, and many are lightning-fast. With that being said, who are the fastest players in each outfield position from the 2023/24 Premier League season? We’ve compiled a list using exclusive data from Opta.
Fastest Premier League defender aged 21 or under: Illia Zabarnyi
- Club: Bournemouth
- Appearances: 37
- Top speed: 36.6km/h
Promising centre-back Illia Zabaryni joined Bournemouth from boyhood club Dynamo Kyiv in January 2023, months before the appointment of Andoni Iraola is manager. He initially had limited opportunities before playing in all but one of Bournemouth’s Premier League matches in the 2023/24 season. To put that into perspective, Dominic Solanke was the only man to play every game for the Cherries, accumulating just 32 more minutes.
Zabarnyi featured in a leaky Bournemouth defence but proved a stern challenge for opposition forwards. He clocked the fastest speed of any Premier League defender aged 21 or under, with his time slightly ahead of full-backs Tino Livramento and Malo Gusto of Newcastle United and Chelsea respectively.
2. Tino Livramento (35.4km/h)
3. Malo Gusto (35km/h)
4. Destiny Udogie (34.68km/h)
5. Levi Colwill (34.66km/h)
Fastest Premier League midfielder aged 21 or under: Carlos Baleba
- Club: Brighton
- Appearances: 27
- Top speed: 34.84km/h
Few Premier League clubs are better at scouting tomorrow’s stars than Brighton, who acquired Cameroonian midfielder Carlos Baleba from Lille last summer. Baleba left the French side a year into his professional career and soon found himself regularly featuring in Roberto De Zerbi’s Brighton. Last season, the 20-year-old started 15 of Brighton’s 38 matches in the league, coming on a further 12 times.
Baleba immediately caught the eye through his impressive pace and finished his debut campaign as the league’s quickest midfielder aged 21 or under. Not far behind were Aaron Ramsey of Burnley and James McAtee, who was on loan at Sheffield United from Manchester City.
2. Aaron Ramsey (34.32km/h)
3. James McAtee (33.72km/h)
4. Oliver Arblaster (33.08km/h)
5. Omari Forson (33.07km/h)
Fastest Premier League forward aged 21 or under: Wilson Odobert
- Club: Burnley
- Appearances: 29
- Top speed: 36.14km/h
Pace is an incredible tool for any forward, whether deployed on the flanks or through the middle. The great ones can harness that physical attribute. Wilson Odobert, who topped the list of Premier League forwards aged 21 or under, scored three goals across 29 appearances for relegated Burnley while providing three assists.
Then manager Vincent Kompany — now at Bayern Munich — fielded the France U23 winger predominantly on the left flank. However, he did lead Burnley’s attacking several times, while also starting on the right on occasion. Odobert was even utilised as a wing-back, such was his ability to get up and down near the touchline.
2. Rasmus Højlund (35.45km/h)
3. Luca Koleosho (35.3km/h)
4. Youssef Chermiti (35.21km/h)
5. Alejandro Garnacho (35.01km/h)
Who are the fastest Premier League players aged 21 or under in 2023/24 overall?
