The ‘secret’ to Max Dowman’s talent has been detailed by Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta after the teenage prodigy made history.
Dowman became Arsenal’s youngest-ever starter after being named in the club’s lineup for Wednesday’s Carabao Cup fourth-round tie against Brighton.
At 15 years and 302 days old, Dowman breaks the record set last season by goalkeeper Jack Porter, who was 16 years and 72 days old when he started against Brighton in the Carabao Cup.
Earlier this season, Dowman became the second-youngest player in Arsenal and Premier League history when making his senior debut as a substitute against Leeds United. Ethan Nwaneri holds the record for both after coming on as a substitute against Brentford in September 2022 aged 15 years. 181 days.
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Dowman played 71 minutes at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday before being replaced by Bukayo Saka, who scored Arsenal’s second goal in a 2-0 win to reach the quarterfinals.
“[He had] a tiny smile [when I told him he was playing],” Arsenal manager Arteta said. “That’s what you’ll get with him.
“For him, everything is natural, for him everything is OK. It is the way he plays. That’s the secret, that he doesn’t make a big fuss of it. He just does what he does best which is to play football with a lot of courage and determination.
“Today again he has shown some incredible skill, the capacity to run past Premier League players aged 15, it is something definitely special.”
The match with Brighton marked Dowman’s fourth senior appearance as Arteta strikes the balance between protecting a young talent and giving deserved opportunities to a player who impressed in a string of cameos during the club’s preseason tour to Singapore and Hong Kong.
“For sure [he wants to play in the Premier League, if you ask him, for sure. That’s what we have to manage. And not only that, there are a lot of things that are new in his life.
“We must make sure that he does the right steps, that he behaves and accepts because this is going to this one, then he going to play in a different team and he needs to cope with all that because it is happening very, very fast. We all need to be aware to encourage him but let’s protect him as well.
ESPN reported last week that Dowman had agreed a scholarship deal that will take effect when he turns 16 on Dec. 31.
FIFA rules state players cannot sign a professional contract until they turn 17, meaning Arsenal face an anxious wait to tie down a talent who has attracted interest from across Europe.
However, sources have told ESPN that lifelong Arsenal fan Dowman views his future at the club and, speaking ahead of Wednesday’s game, Arteta played down the prospect of the playmaker moving elsewhere.
Information from ESPN’s James Olley was used in this report.
