Any left-footed winger worth their salt will inevitably be likened to Lionel Messi at some point in their careers. Dowman is still to take his GCSEs and is drawing such comparisons.
Chelsea legend John Terry, who faced Messi many times over the course of his esteemed top-level career, took to social media soon after Arsenal's weekend win to say: "Max Dowman, what a player by the way, 16 years of age, absolutely incredible. I watched him play against Chelsea about a year ago and I’ve not seen anyone glide past people like this man does, other than Messi. That’s a big, big comparison but this man is a proper talent and will play a big part in Arsenal’s future and also England as well. Super, super talent. Big, big win for them [Arsenal] as well today."
Meanwhile, Wayne Rooney, one of the Premier League's original uber-talented 16-year-olds, has said of Dowman: "He seems, from the games I've watched, to not let that pressure affect him. He gets the ball, he holds on to it, he commits defenders, he goes to take them on, and so he definitely looks like he's got a confidence about him.
"Sometimes people think that enjoying success is arrogant and I just think they do it in the USA. They enjoy it and they celebrate it. So when we've got a young lad like that coming through as a 16-year-old, he's clearly got a lot of ability and you just hope he can go and fulfil that potential. Let him enjoy it and go and express himself."