Mikel Arteta drops major hint over Max Dowman ahead of new Premier League season | Football

Mikel Arteta has hinted Arsenal’s 15-year-old wonderkid Max Dowman is set for a major breakthrough in the upcoming Premier League campaign.

The teenager has shined for the Gunners in pre-season, once again registering an impressive performance in Wednesday’s 3-2 friendly defeat to Villarreal at the Emirates.

Dowman is hoping to follow in the footsteps of fellow Hale End academy graduates Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri and break into Arsenal’s first team.

Ahead of Arsenal’s opening game of the season against Manchester United on August 17, Arteta says Dowman ‘deserves to have chances’ if he keeps up his stunning form.

Quizzed about the England U17 international attacking midfielder, who has conjured up a remarkable 20 goals and 10 assists in just 25 games for Arsenal U18s, Arteta said: ‘He continues to impress, without a doubt.

‘The impact he had in the game again today, the efficiency that he shows in every attack and action, it’s incredible.

‘He deserves to have chances and if he continues like this, let’s see what happens.

‘The most similar one was Ethan [Nwaneri]. I think it was a different stage there, but he managed it so fast.

‘Even last year when he was training with us, he was doing this kind of thing in training and now he’s doing it in the game consistently.

‘So the three or four games that he’s played, he’s managed to impact and have big moments in the game.

‘[When my players] have the ball, they give it to [Dowman]. That tells you how much they trust him and the relationship he’s building within the team.

‘I think there’s nothing better than that. The confidence they show to make things happen and the constant connection they have with him.’

Quizzed directly if Dowman will feature in the Premier League, Arteta added: ‘Let’s see how it goes. Let’s go into Saturday, into the break as well.

‘He needs a little break as well because he hasn’t had any holidays really, so in the next few days he’s going to have a break which I think he needs and then he’ll probably be ready again to go.’

Meanwhile, former Arsenal wonderkid Charlie Patino has urged Dowman to stay grounded ahead of a potential Premier League debut, telling The Sun: ‘I’d say to him to keep your head down, be grounded, be humble.

‘Listen to the people around you. Listen to the players who’ve got a lot more experience.

‘He’s a lot younger than me. I’ve seen a few clips and he looks like a very quality player. At an age like that, we don’t want to put too much pressure on him.

‘It’s all about timing. Time will tell where he gets to. I wish him all the best in what he does.’

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