Max Dowman has been impressing long before he broke into the senior squad at Arsenal
Max Dowman of Arsenal looks on after inspecting the pitch prior to the Carabao Cup Final match between Arsenal and Manchester City at Wembley Stadium on March 22, 2026 in London, England.
Max Dowman has been shining bright for Arsenal(Image: Julian Finney/Getty Images)
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Max Dowman had already been shining in Arsenal training before he made history in the Premier League. The teenager was highlighted ahead of the Gunners' 2-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League.
TNT host Laura Woods was quick to point out Dowman's impressive rise and noted that he wasn't just showing off on the pitch. She said: "This kid, what he did at the weekend and from what we’re hearing coming out of training and from other players talking about him in this Arsenal side, he’s something special."
Woods pointed out the mural of the 16-year-old, placed next to Arsenal hero Dennis Bergkamp, showing just how much pressure is on the youngster. She added: "Listen, while I say on one hand look after him and don’t big him up too much, there’s a mural already up of him at the Tollington Road tunnel and we can show you it now.
"It’s very beautiful and what a moment for him as well. This is by North Banksy, you know the ones he does in that tunnel. And look at where he is, that mural is next to one Dennis Bergkamp, talk about pressure."
Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown was on hand to celebrate Dowman's goal against Everton, which made him the youngest-ever goalscorer in Premier League history. He said: "Yeah, and it would be wrong of me to go too far with what he’s capable of, but do you know, there’s a lot of quality in this [goal].
"Great little header that he puts in, and just look at this now, presence of mind to skip past his opponent, this is a special player, there is no doubt. He has that element of class.
"When you watch, you think what can happen, the sky is the limit. But the manager has managed him beautifully, almost like a parent would. Waiting for the right moment for him. It’s time now for him to be unleashed. I’m pretty sure he gets on tonight, and hopefully the job is done for him by more senior players."
Max Dowman of Arsenal looks on during the warm up prior to the Carabao Cup Final match between Arsenal and Manchester City at Wembley Stadium on March 22, 2026 in London, England.
The teenager has been impressing in training(Image: David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
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The teenager's performances in training, alongside his exciting displays on the pitch, show he was ready to break into the team long before many would expect. Boss Mikel Arteta admitted that Dowman's technique as they prepare for games blows him away every time.
He said: "You just have to see him train every single day, honestly. Some of the things that he does, he does it against these defenders that are some of the best in the world.
"So he can do it against anybody else and the doubt is always, yeah, but he’s 16 and the crowd and the pressure and expectations, but it doesn’t seem to be fazing him very much about that and he had an incredible moment to all of us."
The confidence from the Arsenal star has only been added to by former Gunners hero Jack Wilshere. The fellow academy graduate worked with a much younger Dowman during his time as the under-18s coach, bringing the winger on for the team when he was just 13.
It was this moment that Wilshere spotted Dowman's incredible talent and admitted the teenager is better than him. The current Luton boss said: "It’s hard because I don’t want to be the guy who says, 'He will be this, or that.’ But every challenge he’s had at the moment, I remember playing him for the 18s and he was 13 and we were playing Southampton, a good academy.
Back row (L-R) Andre Harriman-Annous, Max Kuczynski, Ife Ibrahim, Zacariah Shuaib, Josh Ogunnaike, Bless Akolbire. Middle row (L-R) Louie Copley, Dan Casey, Samuel Onyekachukwu, Khari Ranson, Jack Porter, Max Dowman, Sam Chapman, Reece Clairmont. Front Row (L-R) Alex Marciniak, Jakai Fisher, Luis Zecevic John, Theo Julienne, Jack Wilshere (Head Coach), William Sweet, Brayden Clarke, Ceadach O'Neill and Cam'ron Ismail during the Arsenal Academy U21 & U18 photocall at Sobha Realty Training Centre on September 24, 2024 in London Colney, England.
Jack Wilshere saw Dowman's talent when he was just 13(Image: David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
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"We were 2-0 up and I remember saying to my assistant, 'Lets get Max on the pitch.' I stood next to him and he was already taller than me! I remember saying to him, 'Max, remember you are playing against players who are five years older than you which is fine but don’t get into duels, just pop it round and have one or two touches.'
"He came on and the first thing he did, he ran around three players, squared it and we scored. I looked at my assistant and I’d never seen this before. But the most important thing with Max is he’s a top kid. He’s got a good family. He’s got a mum who is amazing, a dad who would do anything for him and wants the best for his son.
"It was only six or seven weeks ago before I was here, I went to watch an Arsenal under-19s CL game and Max was playing. His dad was shooting off afterwards and he asked me if I could take him home. I drove him home and it’s hard to remember he’s only 15, he was trying to play Uno with me and I’m so happy for him because he’s a top kid.
"People say, ‘Is he better than you?’ He is better than me. But what I do see in similarities is his love of the game. I worked with some kids who wouldn’t even watch games but he loves it. He loves the Arsenal, he loves playing for Arsenal."
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