Arteta Hails 'Unusual' 15-Year-Old Dowman as Arsenal's Next Star

Mikel Arteta has shed light on the “unusual” traits Max Dowman has that make him so special. The Arsenal manager has become known for his eye for talent and his faith in young players in recent seasons.

That same trust in academy starlets has served the Gunners well, with 18-year-old Myles Lewis-Skelly breaking into the starting eleven last season while Ethan Nwaneri, also 18, scored nine goals in all competitions. If this pre-season was anything to go by, 15-year-old wonderkid Dowman will be the next Hale End teenager to become a hit this season under Arteta.

The Spaniard was this week unveiled as American sportswear giant Under Armour’s new global ambassador . The role will see him share his insights and understanding of the sport in areas such as brand development, talent identification and leadership, as well as developing the next generation of athletes with his role in Under Armour’s Next Programme.

Arteta has been fortunate enough to be supplied with a seemingly endless stream of talent by Arsenal academy manager and former team-mate Per Mertesacker. Despite his own managerial prowess, Arteta admitted as much during the announcement of his new Under Armour role this week, shedding light on just how special the aforementioned trio are.

Speaking exclusively to Mirror Football , he pinpointed not only their attitude but their rare physical maturity to fit in seamlessly at the elite level, when even some of the brightest academy prospects need to be sent out on loan initially to find their feet in less challenging leagues.

He began by saying: "There are two very important ones [qualities] at this level. One is attitude; a special attitude and feeling confident about the opportunity that you’re going to be given.

“And then, the second is the physical part because without the physical part in this game, you have no chance and we’re talking about kids who haven’t had any loan periods.

“They haven’t been to the Championship or been to Holland, they’ve just been playing under 16s and under 18s and go straight to playing in the Premier League and Champions League and that’s a massive gap in every sense.

“But if you don’t have that personality, that emotional education and emotional control, and the physical part and if you can’t cope with that, you have no chance. Those two (Dowman and Lewis-Skelly), and Ethan [Nwaneri] as well, have had the ability to overcome that massive gap very quickly, which is very unusual.”

Nwaneri made a mark on English football in his very first Premier League game, becoming the league’s youngest ever player aged 15 back in 2022. The creative midfielder then spent several seasons bouncing between the Under-18s and first team.

Despite playing just 1,378 minutes of football, he finished as one of the Gunners’ top scorers last season, netting twice in the Champions League and once against Manchester City in the Premier League.

His childhood friend Lewis-Skelly began to play regularly from December onwards and nonchalantly claimed the starting left-back position. He delivered memorable performances in the home wins against Tottenham and City before registering an assist in the quarter-final Champions League clash with Real Madrid .

Dowman, who still hasn’t finished his GCSEs, got his first taste of training with the senior squad at just 14. Despite Arteta's tendency to protect youngsters from the spotlight, the Spaniard saw enough potential to include him in the winter trip to Dubai.

He was recently included in the pre-season training camp in Spain before gaining widespread attention for his displays during the team’s tour of Asia, where he was one of the standout players.

Those connected with Arsenal will be well aware of the extraordinary talent Dowman possesses, having monitored his development through the youth system. Despite his tender age, the left-footed attacking midfielder has been accelerated into the first team set-up.

Statistics provide some insight into Dowman's immense potential. He was only 13 when he became the youngest player to play for Arsenal's Under-18s and was just 14 when he first featured for the Under-21s, again setting a new record.

In September of the previous year, he made history as the youngest player to ever score in the UEFA Youth League. Dowman has also been a standout for England, playing and scoring for the Under-17s at just 14 years old.

During this summer's Under-17 European Championship, he was the tournament's youngest participant but started all three of England's matches, netting an impressive solo goal against the Czech Republic.

The FA Youth Cup quarter-final against Manchester United in February offered many Arsenal supporters their first glimpse of his talent. Playing at the Emirates Stadium for the Under-18s, Dowman was head and shoulders above the rest on the pitch.

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