Arsenal wonderkid Max Dowman is already making waves in training, with Mikel Arteta revealing senior players’ fiery reactions to being nutmegged by the 15-year-old. The Gunners boss believes Dowman’s fearlessness and skill could make him a star for club and country.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has lifted the lid on how senior players reacted to being embarrassed by 15-year-old prodigy Max Dowman in training — and his comments show just how quickly the teenager is earning respect inside the Gunners’ dressing room.
The highly rated midfielder, who made his Premier League debut in August at just 15 years and 235 days old, has been training with the first team since last season. Dowman even joined Arsenal’s mid-season Dubai camp, and now looks set for more first-team minutes, with a Carabao Cup clash against Port Vale on the horizon.
Nutmeg fury turns into admiration
Arteta joked that Arsenal’s established stars didn’t take too kindly to being nutmegged by the teenager.
“At the beginning, they responded immediately — kick him! That was the first one,” the Spaniard laughed. “And Max, to be fair, he was excellent, stood up and got into the next one. You can really take it personally, for someone who was 14 last year, at some point when he was doing certain things to players, and now everybody loves him.”
What started as irritation has quickly turned into admiration. Dowman’s resilience and fearlessness have impressed teammates who now see him as one of the squad’s most exciting young players.
A talent Arsenal want to protect
Dowman has already shown his toughness on the international stage too, suffering nine fouls in an England youth match against Spain — a game that saw the opposition left-back sent off. But Arteta insists Arsenal’s job is now to nurture the teenager’s raw potential.
“You just want to hug him, help him. He’s such a nice boy as well and he’s very much liked by everybody here,” Arteta added. “It brings responsibility to look after somebody with that talent and make sure we just do what we have to do to give him the best chance to exploit his talent.”
Big tests ahead
Arsenal’s packed schedule means opportunities for Dowman could come thick and fast. The Gunners host Port Vale in the Carabao Cup before a Premier League trip to Newcastle, while Manchester City await at the Emirates in a title showdown.
At just 15, Dowman’s journey is only beginning — but if training ground stories are anything to go by, Arsenal fans may already be watching the rise of their next superstar.
