Scoring a hat-trick in the Premier League is a matter of great pride. Sports outlets shower praises on the scorer, dubbing him either one of the best or one of the most underrated players in the division. He gets to take the match ball home and show it off to anyone yet to be wowed by the expert analysis or front-page commendations. Difficult as they are to achieve, hat-tricks are quite common in the Premier League. But scoring four or more in a single game is considerably more elusive.
Today, we will take a look at a handful of individuals who have had the privilege of scoring a “haul” or a “poker” and rank them according to age. Continue reading to meet the five youngest players to score four or more goals in a single Premier League game since 2000:
#5 Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur): 23Y 9M 20D
Bayern Munich ace Harry Kane cemented his place as one of the finest-ever strikers in Premier League history during his decade-long run with Tottenham Hotspur’s senior team between 2013 and 2023. One of the purest hitters of the soccer ball, Kane bagged the first haul of his career in a 6-1 victory over Leicester City on Matchday 34 of the 2016-17 Premier League season. The England skipper was 23Y 9M 20D old at the time.
Kane, who will look to fire Bayern to the Champions League semi-finals in Wednesday’s (April 17) clash with Arsenal, scored 213 goals in 320 Premier League games before leaving England last summer. He needs 48 more goals to surpass Alan Shearer’s tally and emerge as the division’s all-time leading scorer.
#4 Romelu Lukaku (Everton): 23Y 8M 22D
Now an afterthought at Chelsea, Romelu Lukaku delivered his best-ever Premier League performances during his four-year stay at Everton between 2013 and 2017. As an Everton player, the Belgian played his statistical best game on Matchday 24 of the 2016-17 Premier League season. Aged 23Y 8M 22D, Lukaku scored a brilliant “haul” to help the Merseysiders to a mega 6-3 win over Bournemouth.
Lukaku, who is on loan at AS Roma, has played 278 matches in the Premier League so far, scoring 121 goals.
#3 Michael Owen (Liverpool): 23Y 4M 12D
The last Englishman to win the Ballon d’Or, ex-Liverpool and Manchester United attacker Michael Owen scored his first “haul” in a 7-1 routing of Nottingham Forest on Matchday 10 of the 1998-99 season. However, since we are only considering super hat-tricks after 2000, we are discarding it.
His first eligible “haul” came in a 6-0 win over West Bromwich Albion on Matchday 36 of the 2002-03 season, when he was 23Y 4M 12D old. It was his final hat-trick, super or otherwise, before he joined Real Madrid in 2004. Across all clubs, Owen played 326 games in the Premier League, scoring 150 times and providing 39 assists.
#2 Cole Palmer (Chelsea): 21Y 11M 9D
The latest player to break into the list, Chelsea ace Cole Palmer joined the select company of “poker” heroes on Monday night (April 15), as his team inflicted a 6-0 defeat upon Everton at Stamford Bridge. Palmer, aged 21Y 11M 9D, completed his hat-trick in the first half itself, scoring in the 13th, 18th, and 29th minutes. The former Manchester City man added the fourth from the penalty spot in the 64th minute.
Thanks to his “haul” against the Merseysiders, Palmer is now one of the frontrunners for the Golden Boot. Scoring 20 times in 28 matches, he is currently level with Golden Boot favorite Erling Haaland.
#1 Yakubu Aiyegbeni (Portsmouth): 21Y 5M 23D
At the summit sits Yakubu Aiyegbeni, who scored an astonishing four goals during Portsmouth’s Premier League Matchday 38 clash with Middlesbrough in the 2003-04 season. Only 21Y 5M 23D old at the time, Aiyegbeni’s brilliant performance helped Portsmouth to a 5-1 victory.
Interestingly, it was not the only “haul” of his Premier League career. His second came as a Blackburn Rovers player on Matchday 14 of the 2011-12 season. Buoyed by his goals, Rovers claimed an emphatic 4-2 victory over Swansea City in the English top flight.
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