Of England’s starting XI against Serbia in their most recent international game, 8 players have played in the English Football League, and 4 of those have played in League One, showing that the third tier can be a breeding ground for world-class players.
In fact, the next generation of international stars could be breaking into the men’s game right now.
Here is a look at the five youngest players to feature in League One so far this season, and whether they could have the potential to follow in the footsteps of Harry Kane and co.
5. Zane Okoro
The seasoned veteran of this group is Zane Okoro, who set foot on the pitch for Lincoln City when he was 18 years, three months and two days old earlier this season.
The Connecticut-born man is an attacker who has largely featured on the wing for the Imps thus far.
He made his debut for Michael Skubala’s side last season, making three brief appearances in the third tier and the FA Cup.
Okoro also played the full 90 minutes of the Imps’ EFL Trophy game against Manchester City under-21s, scoring his first goal for the Lincolnshire giants in the process.
After starting in a Carabao Cup win against Burton Albion in late August, the 18-year-old was sent out on loan to Northern Irish side Coleraine.
He has made one appearance for his new team, and they currently sit in second place in the Northern Irish top flight.
The LNER Stadium has previously shown itself to be an excellent breeding ground for young players. When combined with Skubala’s extensive experience in academy football, it should mean that Okoro is at a great club for his long-term development.
4. Ronan Kpakio
In a list of players who have only made a handful of appearances in senior football, Ronan Kpakio stands out as someone who has already made his mark in the third tier.
The youngster has been at Cardiff City since he was a child, and began to break into the Bluebirds’ first team last season.
The right-back made six appearances for the Welsh giants during the 2024/25 campaign, registering an assist off the bench against Oxford United and starting the final game of the season against Norwich City.
This already signalled a good start to his time in men’s football, but the Welshman has exploded into life under Brian Barry-Murphy.
Giving opportunities to youth prospects has been something that the former Man City academy manager has prioritised in his early weeks at the Cardiff City Stadium. This has led to Kpakio starting all six of the Bluebirds’ League One games thus far.
His swashbuckling attacking play, combined with his defensive solidity in the early weeks of the season, has already earned him a Wales call-up. He started for Craig Bellamy’s side in their friendly against Kazakhstan.
The defender seemingly has all the tools to make it to the highest level of club football.
3. Ashqar Ahmed
Next up on this list is another right-sided defender, Reading’s Ashqar Ahmed.
He was a mere 17 years, 11 months and 16 days old when he started against AFC Wimbledon earlier this season.
Ahmed broke into the Royals’ first team last season making a few brief appearances in the league, but featuring regularly in the FA Cup and EFL Trophy. He made nine appearances in total for Reading last campaign, providing one assist.
This season, the now 18-year-old has shared right-back duties with fellow Reading academy graduate Kelvin Abrefa, starting three times in the League and once in the Carabao Cup.
Due to the Royals’ off-field issues, it is likely that Noel Hunt will continue to give opportunities to Ahmed, and he can also learn from the experienced Andy Yiadom.
A well-timed takeover could see the youngster rise up the leagues with the Royals.
2. Andre Garcia
Andre Garcia is the second-youngest player to play in League One this season. But he is also the most experienced player on this list.
The November-born 17-year-old is entering his second full season in men’s football, after spectacularly breaking into Reading’s first team last season.
He made 45 appearances, totalling just under 3,000 minutes, under Ruben Selles and Hunt last season. Most of this game time was at left-back, though he has already demonstrated good versatility as he was used on the left wing on multiple occasions.
Garcia is the only player on this list, of the four who are eligible, to win caps for England at youth level. He was called up to Liam Bramley’s England under-18 squad in March of this year.
Matty Jacob’s arrival at the Select Car Leasing Stadium has slightly pushed Garcia down the pecking order, and he has not quite got as many starts as he may have desired in the opening weeks of the season. However, he has still managed to get on the scoresheet twice and make one assist in just five appearances so far.
If Hunt is unwilling to give the 17-year-old opportunities, perhaps he will consider moving to a higher division side and going out on loan in January.
1. Tegan Finn
Tegan Finn entered the fray as a 68th-minute substitute for Plymouth Argyle against Bolton Wanderers during the second game of the League One season. He was just 17 years, four months and 23 days old when he set foot on the pitch, making him comfortably the youngest player to play in the third tier this season.
Being the youngest player in the group, Finn has also made a relatively low number of senior appearances.
He joined Plymouth when he was just nine years old, and made his debut in the Championship against Leeds United last campaign. This appearance made him the sixth-youngest debutant in the Pilgrims’ history.
Following their relegation to League One, Finn has found minutes slightly easier to come by this season. The youngster has already started twice in the Carabao Cup and once in the league.
The next milestone for the winger will be to register his first goal contribution in men’s football.
If he is given first-team opportunities by Tom Cleverley, there is no telling how much Finn could progress this season.
* All statistics are courtesy of Transfermarkt.
