Arsenal star Max Dowman has matched Manchester United and England legend Wayne Rooney with a unique record and sent a clear message to Mikel Arteta
Arsenal youngster Max Dowman has joined Wayne Rooney in scoring a brace for a Premier League club at just 16 years of age. The forward, who can also operate as an attacking midfielder, shone during Tuesday evening’s 4-2 victory at Ipswich Town.
The Gunners’ academy star was given a chance to shine following his debut for Mikel Arteta’s team last season. Dowman’s strikes, coupled with efforts from Noni Madueke and Mikel Merino, sealed a commanding victory for Arsenal in the Carabao Cup third round.
This follows Dowman becoming the Premier League’s youngest-ever marksman, having found the net in March’s 2-0 victory over Everton. The attacker made his top-flight bow on August 23 last year, entering as a substitute in the 64th minute of Arsenal’s 5-0 thrashing of Leeds United.
And having now struck twice against Gary O’Neil’s side, he has now emulated Rooney in netting a double for a top-flight team in one match as a 16-year-old. That feat from the former Manchester United and England legend came in October 2002 for Everton against Wrexham, also in the League Cup.
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Arteta was questioned post-match regarding Dowman’s display as well as that of another 17-year-old defender, Marli Salmon.
He said: “A joy to have him, Marli as well, a 16-year-old, to play at the level with the physicality they have to be able to handle that level. It’s remarkable. And Max, yeah, it’s inevitable to talk about him when he scores and he creates the moments that he has created tonight. It’s normal.
“That’s something very natural for him, and he can deliver those actions effortlessly, I would say. That’s his biggest quality. And defensively, his application, his capacity as well to sustain the actions, which is not easy.
“He’s 16 years old, and he can create moments, but consistently to go through the game, every phase, with the demands that we put in them, to be able to do that is extremely difficult. And he’s coping better and better and better.
“He did the action where he regained the ball and wins it. In the first goal, he loses his man. And that’s the thing that we need to continue to reiterate with him because he’s an unbelievable player because of the character that he has and how much he loves to play at the biggest stage and still handle the situation with such naturality.”
When asked how he plans to manage the hype surrounding such a young player, Arteta admitted they will need to tread carefully with his usage.
He added: “Well, it depends. If he does what he does on the pitch, it’s not easy, I understand. But what we have to do is look after him. He’s 16-years-old. You don’t see that in this league. In other leagues in Europe, that’s a totally different context.
“But in this league, with the demands that the league [has], the players and everything put on you, we really need to make sure every time we throw him in, he’s in the right context with the right preparation. That’s what we are trying to do.
“We want to make sure that when we just throw him there, he’s ready to handle that at every level. It’s not just that he can run past somebody. There’s a lot more things that we need to look after him.
“But he will dictate that in terms of how he behaves every single day and how many reasons he gives to play because he’s part of our squad. Like anybody else, no different. The only thing that we have to manage is that he needs to constantly be aware that he needs to be prepared for what he needs to do.”