Unless there is a major tournament, international breaks can be pretty boring for fans, but this time, there has been something to cheer for Arsenal fans.
The Gunners' latest academy gem, Myles Lewis-Skelly, was a surprise inclusion in Thomas Tuchel's first England squad last week, so it was even more of a surprise when he was named in the starting lineup on Friday night.
Lewis-Skelly-England-Declan-Rice
As the Emirates faithful are now accustomed to seeing, the teenage sensation looked entirely at home in the first-team and even scored his first goal for the country.
It was the perfect introduction to international football for the young star, but there might be even more to come from Hale End, as another of their most exciting prospects looks destined to be the youngest Arsenal player to win a senior England cap, and it's not Ethan Nwaneri.
Arsenal's young England stars of yesteryear
While Lewis-Skelly is the first to come along in a little while now, Arsenal have seen a number of their teenage talents make their way into the senior England side in the past, with perhaps the most notable example being Theo Walcott.
theo-walcott-arsenal-england
The now-retired attacker joined the Gunners in a £5m deal from Southampton in January 2006, and while he didn't make a single first-team appearance for the rest of the season, he made his England debut in a friendly against Hungary on May 30th, at just 17 years and 75 days old, making him the youngest Arsenal player to make a senior England appearance - for now.
Then, as if that wasn't enough, the teenager was included in the 2006 World Cup squad, even if he never got onto the pitch in Germany.
Arsenal's youngest England players
Date
30/05/2006
21/03/2025
11/08/2010
26/05/2012
08/10/2020
All Stats via Arsenal
The third youngest Gooner to represent the Three Lions, behind Lewis-Skelly, was fellow Hale End icon Jack Wilshere, who debuted at 18 years and 222 days old on August 11th 2010, against Hungary.
At one point, it looked like Wilshere was heading for the very top of the game, and he did manage to win 34 senior caps for the national side, but persistent injuries derailed what should have been an incredible career and ultimately forced him into early retirement in 2022.
However, the former fan favourite will at least have his place on the list of Arsenal youngsters to play for the national team, although with a certain youngster coming up through the ranks at Hale End, he might not be the third youngest for much longer.
Arsenal's future England star
So, the first thing to say is that we are pretty certain Nwaneri will make the first of many appearances for England in the coming months, but at 18 years old, he simply can't be the Gunners' youngest Three Lions representative.
Max Dowman, on the other hand, certainly could be.
Now, we should exercise some caution here, as the Chelmsford-born gem is still just 15 years old, and predicting the future of young footballers is hardly a science, but in this case, the Hale Ender looks destined for stardom.
Indeed, despite being 14 at the start of the season, the academy's "crown jewel," as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has been training with the first team for some time now.
Moreover, he is already thriving with the U18s, scoring six goals and providing seven assists in 18 games.
Dowman's youth record
Team
Appearances
Goals
Assists
Goal Involvements per Game
All Stats via Transfermarkt
In the process, he has become the youngest player to score in a UEFA Youth League Game in September and has already made one appearance for the U21s.
On top of all that, the incredible youngster is reportedly being mentored by Declan Rice, who described him as "the best 15-year-old in the country" while the aforementioned Kulig has suggested he is the 'most exciting' teenage talent to emerge on the scene since Lamine Yamal.
Ultimately, Arsenal have a proud track record of producing youngsters who go on to play for England, and with how fast Downman is currently developing, we wouldn't be surprised to see him break Walcott's record and become the club's youngest ever Three Lions representative.
Lewis-Skelly-England Related
[Arsenal's "huge talent" was the original Lewis-Skelly, then he left for £0](https://www.footballfancast.com/arsenal-ainsley-maitland-niles-was-the-original-myles-lewis-skelly/ "Arsenal's "huge talent" was the original Lewis-Skelly, then he left for £0")
Arsenal's Myles Lewis-Skelly has made quite the impression at club and international level this season.