14-year-old Arsenal wonderkid breaks European record

Jacque Talbot

Updated: 19 Sep 2024 08:58 CDT
5 min read

Arsenal youngster Max Dowman has just broken two European records after being selected for their UEFA Youth League match today.

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The Gunners got their campaign away this afternoon against Atalanta Under-19s. Reporter Jeorge Bird has relayed that Dowman started start the opening fixture - even though he is just 14 years old.

It means that the teenager has become Arsenal's youngest-ever player in the competition. Not only this, but Dowman became the youngest scorer - netting against the Italian club's youth outfit in his Youth League debut.

Dowman has represented Arsenal Under-18s nine times this year and featured in the England Under-17s over the international break. So far in this campaign, Dowman has had two assists and a goal in six appearances for the club and country.

He made his debut for Arsenal's Under-18s last year when he was 13 years old, being developed by academy head coach Jack Wilshere.

Jack Wilshere wants to fast-track Max Dowman

In 2023/24 season, Dowman provided four assists as Arsenal beat Fulham 5-2 in the Premier League 2. Wilshere said after the contest: "We had a blend of players spanning from under-14s to under-18s. It's always intriguing to see how they play together, how they fight together, and today, I felt we witnessed that in abundance..

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"It's reassuring to know that if I field an under-14 who isn't a regular in our training sessions, I can trust that they grasp our playing style and tactics. Today, they demonstrated that understanding flawlessly, which is a testament to the diligent work of all our coaches."

He continued: "There’s always a concern when fielding such a young player in these matches, but if you’re good enough, you’re old enough. We need to find a balance of letting him play and enjoy because of his age but also trying to get as much work into him as we can."

"Hopefully, we can fast-track him and when he goes over to the first team he’ll be more ready."