Arsenal teenager Max Dowman, 16 years and 73 days old, became the Premier League's youngest goalscorer with a dramatic stoppage-time strike in Saturday's 2-0 win over Everton at Emirates Stadium.
The forward sprinted more than half the pitch before slotting home - the final kick of the match.
Former England striker Wayne Rooney, who scored for Everton against Arsenal at age 16 in 2002, said: "Let him enjoy it and go and express himself." He praised Mikel Arteta and Arsenal’s senior players for grounding the talent - but emphasized the importance of joy in early breakthroughs.
Arsenal sit top of the Premier League with 70 points from 31 matches. They host Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday in the Champions League quarterfinal second leg.