LONDON: Max Dowman made new history at Arsenal when he became the youngest player to start a match for the club after being named in Mikel Arteta’s starting line-up against Brighton in the League Cup.
At 15 years and 302 days old, the midfielder also became the youngest player to start a match in any competition for a Premier League club.
When Dowman made his professional debut as a substitute against Leeds last September at the age of 15 years and 235 days, he became the second-youngest player in Premier League history – behind Arsenal teammate Ethan Nwaneri, who made his debut at 15 years and 181 days.
But now Dowman holds a new Arsenal record, eclipsing the previous record held by goalkeeper Jack Porter who played at the age of 16 years and 72 days in last season’s 5-1 win over Bolton in the League Cup – a match that also saw Nwaneri score his first senior goal. Dowman broke the record by a margin of 135 days.
On Tuesday, Arsenal manager Arteta said he needed to be careful in using Dowman, who has been training with the first-team squad since last year, but admitted the youngster’s talent was too great to ignore.
“We need to control his training load. He’s only 15 years old, still growing, and there are many things that need to be taken care of so that he can develop properly.
“If you look at his passport every day, we wouldn’t let him go. But when you see what he shows in training, you have to play him, otherwise you’re blind.”
“So we need to find a balance, understand the situation, control the load and make sure that when he is brought on, he is in the right context with the right players so that he can adapt.
“So far he has done well, very well,” said Arteta.
Dowman has agreed to sign a scholarship contract with Arsenal at the end of this season but cannot sign a professional contract until December 31, 2026 – his 17th birthday.
The situation means he could potentially leave the club after that date, but Arteta is confident his young star will stay.
“I didn’t think too much about it because everything I heard from the player and his family was very positive.
“My feeling, honestly, is that he really loves this club. He’s a big Arsenal fan and his family is also happy with the way we’ve coached him.
“Hopefully he will continue to be with us for a long time,” he said.