The Home-Grown Teenager Continues His Family’s Dynasty in Brighton & Hove Albion
An exciting talent from Brighton’s academy has earned only a couple of call-ups for the men’s first team. The home-grown player is one of two players from the same family at Brighton, and their previous relatives have also played for the same club, as well as their bitter rivals. He should not be confused with the hockey and baseball players who have the same name. Harry Howell is a 17-year-old English soccer player. He recently made his Premier League debut with Brighton against Liverpool in 2025. His FA Cup debut has been cut short to only one match as Brighton lost to Liverpool at Anfield. He is a player to watch out for as he gets older and gains more experience. He followed in his cousin’s footsteps, Jack Hinshelwood, who is another home-grown Brighton player. Howell will be an important future player for Brighton.
Howell started his journey at Brighton in their youth academy system. He was offered a spot in their academy at age seven and quickly climbed through the rankings. He played for the under-18s when he was only 14 years old. During his playing time with the under-18s, he helped them to a win against Leicester's under-18 team. One year later, he was promoted to the under-21s squad. Howell proved to be a key player for the under-21s at only 15 years old. He scored a penalty in a shoot-out against Reading’s youth team, and he scored two goals against Wycombe in the EFL Trophy tournament, which is also called the Vertu Trophy. The tournament is a knock-out competition open to under-21 teams from the Premier League and the Championship. The experiences with the under-21s would give him some valuable experience, as his first match for Brighton’s first team came as a substitute in the Premier League.
Fabian Hürzeler, Brighton’s first-team coach, must have seen the potential in Howell as he got his first spot on the bench for the Premier League match against Leicester City in April 2025. Patience would pay off as Howell was a substitute in a home match against Liverpool for the Premier League. Howell would be an important substitution as he was able to create space for his cousin, Jack Hinselwood, to score the winning goal against the eventual league winners, Liverpool. After those first two positive starts for Brighton, the club gave him his first official contract, which was signed on July 8th, 2025.
Howell is not only following his cousin’s footsteps in being a home-grown player for Brighton. Hinshelwood is another home-grown player who made his mark under the former Brighton coach, Roberto de Zerbi. The familial line of Howell-Hinshelwood players continues back into their generations, as Jack’s father, Adam Hinshelwood, also played for Brighton. The elder Hinshelwood made 100 appearances for Brighton, and he gets to watch his son and nephew play for his alumni team. Soccer runs in the veins of the Hinshelwoods as Adam’s father, Paul, played for Brighton’s rival team, Crystal Palace.
Under Hürzeler, Howell plays as a right winger. However, he can be a versatile player as he can play as a center-forward, midfielder, or the left or right wing. His first goal for Brighton’s first team came in the Carabao Cup against Barnsley. He also recorded a shot on target in that same match. As he gains more experience in various domestic tournaments and the Premier League, he will pose an attacking threat to add to Brighton’s squad list. Howell’s talents and potential are not only being acknowledged by Brighton but also by international clubs like Bayer Leverkusen and other clubs in Germany.
