I'm trying not to get too hyped about Max Dowman but it's getting difficult.
Like most Arsenal fans, I've heard about and seen videos of him playing for Arsenal u18s and u19s and England's u16s and u17, where he has looked suitably impressive. Last December, he became the youngest ever player in Premier League 2, the Premier League's under 21 league, at 14 years old. He has also trained with Arsenal's first team squad on a regular basis.
But it's difficult to judge players at that level. To really judge a player's potential, you need to see him against proper opposition - against Premier League quality players -- against men. And we've had that chance now as he played 25 minutes against AC Milan, 30 minutes against Newcastle and 25 minutes against Sp***. Okay, these were only friendly matches, but his quality shone through nonetheless.
Arsenal's academy has produced some great players over the years, with Ethan Nwaneri and Miles Lewis-Skelly being the latest graduates to the first team squad. Barring serious injuries both will be top Premier League players, could be starters England for years to come and are potentially world class.
But Dowman is something different. With Arsenal youth coach Gustavo Oliveira calling him the "next Kaká", expectations are high. He is currently the most promising 15 year old in world football and could in time be a Ballon d'Or winner. That might seem a bit of a stretch and somewhat premature - and I don't like to make predictions, especially about the future - but if he keeps his head on and doesn't suffer any serious injuries, that's what we could be looking at.
He didn't score or get an assist against Milan, Newcastle and Spurs - unless you count being fouled for the winning penalty against Newcastle - but it is no exaggeration to say that he was probably the best player on the pitch in all three matches after he came on.
Opposing teams are already worried about what he can do. Against Newcastle and Spurs in particular, he was usually marked by two or three players. Every time he got the ball there was an audible hum of anticipation. That's incredible for a player who's only 15 years old playing in a team like Arsenal, with several world class attacking talents.
At no point in any of those matches did he look anything other than a first team player, and one of Arsenal's better ones at that. His skill, composure, pace and physique are already top class, and while he has things that he can improve upon he has the right attitude to get where he needs to be.
Could we even see him at the 2026 World Cup? There might be an outside chance, but a lot of things have to fall just right for that to happen. He may yet not even get much game time for Arsenal. However, the fact that I've even mentioned the idea, at the risk of looking like an idiot, speaks to how talented he is.
If you have any thoughts on Max Dowman or anything Arsenal, please leave a comment below.
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I'm trying not to get too hyped about Dowman
