James Frederick McLeod Prinsep (27 July 1861 – 22 November 1895) was an English footballer who held two 'youngest player' records for almost 125 years, before they were both broken within the space of just over a year.
He made his debut (and only appearance) for England, against Scotland on 5 April 1879, at the age of 17 years and 252 days, which made him England's youngest-ever player at the time. He held this record for almost 124 years, until Wayne Rooney made his debut at the age of 17 years and 111 days against Australia on 12 February 2003.
Prinsep played for Clapham Rovers, and also formerly held the record for being the youngest player to play in an FA Cup final, playing in the 1879 final against Old Etonians at the age of 17 years and 245 days.[1] This record was broken not long after his England record, by then Millwall player Curtis Weston, who played in the 2004 final aged 17 years and 119 days.[2]
Prinsep was a descendant of the Anglo-Indian merchant John Prinsep. His namesake, the scholar James Prinsep, was his grandfather's brother.
Prinsep was commissioned into the Essex Regiment in 1882 and went on to see action in the Mahdist War. In 1884 he was awarded the Albert Medal after saving a fellow soldier from drowning in the Shaban Cataract.[3]. In 1886, as a Lieutenant, he was seconded to the Egyptian Army. He was promoted to Captain in the Egyptian Coastguard in 1890. Most sources record that he was killed fighting in Egypt at the age of 34 although the Charterhouse School register of former pupils records that he died in Nairn.