I was the Premier League’s youngest-ever player but I ended up with an addiction and worked on a building site

A former Premier League star who was once the youngest-ever player in the competition’s history has revealed how he became suicidal after failing to maintain a career in the English top flight. 

The player in question made his debut for Fulham against Middlesbrough at the age of just 16 years and 65 days old. 

He held that record until it was eclipsed by Harvey Elliott in 2019, who made his Premier League debut aged 16 years and 30 days. 

The Liverpool midfielder’s record stood for far less time though – as it was broken by Ethan Nwaneri when he made his Arsenal debut aged 15 years and 181 days in September 2022 against Brentford. 

Despite interest from Manchester United in potentially signing him at the time, Briggs would go on to make just 12 more appearances for Fulham before playing for the likes of Millwall and Watford. 

Despite interest from Manchester United in potentially signing him at the time, Briggs could never maintain a career at the top level

But he revealed how he fell out of love with the sport, which took a severe toll on his mental health.

Speaking to Rising Ballers last year, he said: ‘Nothing was working, I lost the hunger for it.

‘I had a lifestyle that I could no longer maintain because of the money I was now earning. It all got too much.

‘I just lost myself and I disconnected from friends, I disconnected from family because I feel like I let them down. I couldn’t face anyone, anymore.

‘That’s when I turned to drugs, I turned to alcohol just to numb it all. I even was suicidal at one point. 

‘I remember being on holiday in Dubai and just thinking about ending it all. Luckily security guards came in and got me down and moved my room to a bottom floor.’

Fortunately for Briggs, he was able to make a gradual recovery after being given access to therapy and counselling through the Professional Footballer’s Association (PFA). 

He was also assisted by his uncle – who sought to give Briggs work on a building site after noticing the internal battle he was fighting. 

He revealed how he fell out of love with the sport, which took a severe toll on his mental health

Briggs added: ‘After a week, my uncle was like, ‘Matthew, you can’t do this no more. This ain’t healthy, this ain’t good for you. It’s making us feel uncomfortable.’

‘I always say no disrespect to construction, because what they do is brilliant and I learned a lot of life skills doing it’.

‘But I remember walking across the building site of a breeze block, pouring with rain. I was holding this breeze block and I was thinking, ”How have I ended up in this situation?”’

‘I was the youngest player in the Premier League, dubbed next England captain. Now I’m in a building site carrying a breeze block, not playing for a club, not earning the money I was once on before, and I thought, ”Nah, this ain’t it.”

Briggs made a return to football in the 2018-19 season as he appeared for eighth tier side Maldon and Tiptree.

He then played in the top tier of Danish football with Vejle BK and even represented Guyana internationally before his retirement in 2023.

After hanging up his boots, Briggs became a player care mentor for Fulham and has also worked as an insurance broker and PE teacher.