The boy wonder who scored in his only Wolves game, 87 years ago
Arsenal’s Max Dowman hit the headlines when he scored in the Premier League at the age of only 16
Dowman’s goal against Everton last weekend was by no means the first occasion a 16-year-old had scored in England’s top flight and a Wolves player did just that 87 years ago.
At the age of 16 years and 265 days, Alan Steen made his debut for Wolves and scored in a 3-0 win over Manchester United at Molineux. In the days when teams fielded two wide players – wingers they were called – Wolves paraded two players aged 16 in those positions against United. Steen was on the right and former England schoolboy international Jimmy Mullen was on the left.
It was the first time a team had fielded two 16-year-old wingers and Steen’s parents travelled down from Liverpool to witness his big day.
His father said before the game: “He does not know we are here. We had a letter from him this morning, and he said there might be a surprise for us. This will be a surprise for him.”
Steen, a useful sprinter, was on the books of New Brighton at one stage but the club could not find him a job and so advised him to try Wolves. His dad brought him to Molineux in March, 1937, when Alan was not yet 14.
