‘If not, I’m blind’ – Arteta on Dowman’s development and the teenager’s future at Arsenal

Mikel Arteta says teenage sensation Max Dowman will get more first-team opportunities this season but stressed the club are managing him carefully.

Dowman, 15, has played three times for the first team this season but has instead featured more for the Gunners’ youth teams of late .

He could be a part of the squad for Arsenal’s Carabao Cup clash against Brighton on Wednesday, but Arteta has urged caution with the youngster.

“I think what we have designed for him for the first few months is happening at the moment and when we have to give him games, whether it was in the Youth Cup, whether it was with the Under-23s, whether it was with us, he has that,” Arteta explained.

“He has had a lot of exposure and minutes in training with us as well and we really have to manage his load.

“He’s 15 years old. He’s still growing. It’s a lot of things that we have to make sure that are under control to make sure that he develops in the way that he can do.

“It’s a lot of new things that are happening to him and he plays with the national team and he has to play with two different group ages as well and with us, two different group ages and train with the first team and then prepare the games with another team. It’s a lot. So, we have to manage that.

“He’s going to play minutes with us, for sure, and when he has a chance to do that, he needs to take that.”

Arteta admits it is unusual for a 15-year-old to play as much as Dowman has but says he would be “blind” to ignore the teenager’s talent.

“If we look at his passport every day, we never play him,” Arteta said. “It’s as simple as that. But when you look at what he does in training, you have to play him. If not, you are blind or I’m blind.

“So, it’s finding that balance again and understanding, especially the load, the things that are changing in his life, and make sure when we throw him in there, it is in the right context with the right players and he can cope with that.

“So far, I think he’s done it and he’s done it really well.”

Dowman recently signed scholarship forms with the club and Arteta is confident that his long-term future remains with Arsenal.

“That’s what we all want,” he said. “I think that’s what he wants as well.

“I think after that, it’s more for Andrea (Berta) and the club to reach that. But the feeling that I have genuinely is that he loves it. He is a huge Arsenal supporter and his family, I think they are really, really happy with the way things are developing around him as well.

“So, hopefully for many years he will be with us.”