When Everton teenager James Vaughan became the youngest goalscorer in Premier League history, the unavoidable comparisons were hurtling his way.
Aged just 16 years, 270 days when he scored against Crystal Palace in 2005, Vaughan had broken the marker set by James Milner, then at Leeds United, by 86 days.
But he had also sealed a new club record that had been set by another young gun who went by the name of Wayne Rooney and had left to join Manchester United for around £26 million the previous summer.
Five days before his 17th birthday, Rooney had roared into the public consciousness when he curled home a stunning last-minute winner at Goodison Park that ended Arsenal’s 30-match unbeaten run in October 2002.
That record would last barely two months when Milner found the target in a 2–1 win against Sunderland, at the age of 16 years and 356 days
It would take a few years for Milner’s mark to go when Vaughan struck the final goal in a 4-0 thrashing of Palace in front of a delighted Goodison Park.
Current Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta had opened the scoring with a curling free kick after seven minutes before a Tim Cahill double had put Everton on their way to an easy three points.
Manager David Moyes, now in charge at West Ham for a second time, then sent on Vaughan after 74 minutes who became the club's youngest post-war player, beating Joe Royle's record by 11 days.
And, after fluffing his first chance, Vaughan sealed a dream debut by prodding home the fourth goal with three minutes remaining.
"It was a fantastic day for him," said Everton assistant manager Alan Irvine after the match. "People will make comparisons with Wayne Rooney but they are different players.
"It was terrific for him just to get on so to score made it a dream debut. Young players tend to get their chance when you end up with no-one else to put in.
"We are very short at the moment so we gave James his chance, and he has taken it absolutely brilliantly. I am delighted for him.
"He is in his first year after leaving school and he is a very hard-working striker.
"He has a lot to learn and a lot of improvement to make, but he makes things happen when he gets on, whether that is for the youth team or now the first team.
"He's certainly a very robust player and works extremely hard and he has a happy knack for scoring goals, whether that has been for the reserves, the youth team or recently for England Under-17s.
"He's powerful and quick, brave and committed. The run he made to get into the position to score just showed the amount of aggression the lad has.
"Time will tell if James gets anywhere near to Wayne Rooney, it would be fantastic for us all if he did but clearly it would be a bit unfair to say he is the next Rooney because he is the first James Vaughan.”
While Vaughan would never go on to scale the footballing heights that Rooney or Milner achieved after they left Merseyside, he has still gone on to enjoy a solid career as a professional footballer.
After several spells out on loan, he left Everton permanently in 2011 and has rarely stayed at one club for long, barring a three-year stay at Huddersfield Town.
He has played mostly outside of the Premier League, for the likes of Huddersfield, Sunderland, Wigan Athletic and Bury.
Now aged 31, Vaughan is currently back on Merseyside after signing on loan for League One Tranmere Rovers from Bradford City. He had scored three goals in eight games before the season was stopped due to the coronavirus pandemic.
But, remarkably, he still remains the top-flight’s youngest goalscorer, 15 years after that memorable day at Goodison Park.
“It’s weird, because when I was seven or eight I’d tell everyone that I’d be the youngest player to score in the Premiership,” Vaughan would say later.
“I also said I’d be the youngest player to represent England and that didn’t come off, but it was a dream to play and score in the Premier League.”
