Max Dowman caught the eye during Arsenal's pre-season tour of Asia and is ready to make an impact for Mikel Arteta's side this season, despite still being at school
Football loving writer who spends much of his life on motorways getting to games all over the country. Passionate about football, my job and the Mirror. The Premier League is the best in the world and always believe England has a chance. Author of Arsene Wenger: The Inside Story of Arsenal Under Wenger.
Max Dowman of Arsenal
Max Dowman is ready to burst onto the scene at Arsenal(Image: Getty Images)
It was an iconic piece of commentary to celebrate a superstar in the making.
“Remember the name: Wayne Rooney,” screamed TV legend Clive Tyldesley after the former Everton whizz kid scored a wonder goal on October 19, 2002, five days before his 17th birthday.
We may soon have a new name on our lips. Arsenal teenager Max Dowman does not turn 16 until December 31 and is set to write his own name into the record books in this Premier League season.
The Essex lad has been training with the first team for nearly two years, Declan Rice described him as “the best 15-year-old in the country” and an Arsenal academy coach, Gustavo Oliveira, likened him to Brazil legend Kaka.
Dowman starred in the club’s pre-season tour of Asia, is still at school and has to get special permission to get time off to join training. He got time off from lessons to join the senior stars on the mid-season break in Dubai last February.
Dowman played for England’s under-17s in the Euros this summer and became the competition’s youngest ever scorer. Despite playing THREE YEARS above his age group, he scored 19 goals and provided five assists in 23 games for the under-18s last season.
Now Dowman is eligible, ready and will be part of the first team squad. He was in the travelling party for the season-opener at Manchester United on Sunday to give him experience, even though he was not named as one of the substitutes.
Max Dowman and Declan Rice of Arsenal during a training session
Max Dowman has impressed Declan Rice(Image: Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
There will be no holding him back. He is an attacking midfielder who scores goals, dribbles and runs with the ball as if he is gliding across the pitch. Even if he does not play every week, you can bet there will be a special moment or goal this season.
If Rooney was the Premier League’s original generational talent and Jude Bellingham was a teen global superstar, then Dowman has got the same mind-blowing potential.
Arsenal legend Lee Dixon even admitted he would normally be reluctant to talk up a teenager - but says Dowman is an “exceptional talent” even amid the club’s other teen talents like Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly.
Dixon told betting firm 10bet: “Normally at this point when we talk about a kid like that, I kind of back off a little bit and I say just let him develop. Don't put any pressure on him. Often for young kids, you need to take stuff away from them rather than add more, but this kid is super special.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta with Max Dowman
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta won't rush Max Dowman's development
“That’s not to say Nwaneri or Myles Lewis-Skelly aren’t, but this kid has got something that you can’t put your finger on. He blows you away when he does his stuff. I’m reluctant to build him up because he doesn’t need building up.
“You just watch his show reel, watch him when he comes on. His ability on the ball, wow. We’ve been waiting for him for a long time, and Mikel said that every club in the world knows him.
“We’ve got an absolute gem on our hands and if you’re good enough, you’re old enough. He’s already shown what he can do. Had he struggled a bit in pre-season, you’d back off, thinking it’s a bit early. But he’s shown that he is ready. He is an exceptional talent.”
Arsenal now find themselves with almost an embarrassment of riches. From a position of struggling to get youngsters through, they now have arguably the best in the country. Teenagers Marli Salmon and Andre Harriman-Annous could be next.
Myles Lewis-Skelly of Arsenal poses for a photograph with Ethan Nwaneri in the Arsenal dressing room as they celebrate after the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Manchester City FC at Emirates Stadium on February 02, 2025 in London, England.
Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri have become important first-team players
Lewis-Skelly became England’s youngest player to score on their debut - aged 18 years and 176 days - last March. Nwaneri is the youngest player in Premier League history after making his debut aged 15 years and 181 days in 2022.
Nwaneri is having to be patient in his progress. Borussia Dortmund pushed hard to sign him and were the most likely club - well ahead of Chelsea and others - to tempt him away. Instead, Nwaneri committed himself to a mega contract to stay at Arsenal.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta will have to find a way to give him game time. But in Dowman’s case, it may be more of a challenge just to hold him back.
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