Archive August 26, 2025

Max Dowman’s age allows him to play in the Premier League, but he doesn’t change with his teammates.

When the winger made his Premier League debut against Leeds United on Saturday, at the age of 15 and 234 days, he continued to demonstrate why he is one of the nation’s top-rated young players.

With team-mate Ethan Nwaneri holding both records, he became the second-youngest player to represent the club and the second-youngest player to play in the Premier League.

Anyone who has worked for Arsenal for the past few years will not be surprised by his talent and rise. Since he was 14 years old, he has been training with the first-team squad.

Arsenal has put measures in place to protect both the player’s future and his safety because of the high potential of the player’s senior football career.

These include ensuring that a boy in an adult team environment receives good support from his team-mates, as well as how he is changed, how much of a focus is placed on his education, and how he is educated.

The club and manager Mikel Arteta have been cautious with Dowman’s progress.

At the age of 14, Dowman was taken on the first team’s warm-weather training camp in Dubai as one of the first major indicators of his integration.

Fans contacted him during the second half of the campaign after Arteta’s squad received injuries.

For Dowman, setting records is not unusual. When he scored in a win over the Czech Republic at the European Under-17 Championship in May, he became the youngest scorer in the competition.

When they travel to games and arrive at Emirates Stadium, the Arsenal squad has a security team surrounded them.

When the teenager was in the traveling squad for the game against Manchester United but did not make the matchday 20th, one of the security team is assigned to stay close to Dowman at all times. Dowman can be seen next to him at Old Trafford.

Due to his age, Dowman must use a separate room for his team-mates to change before training sessions and on matchdays, but can do so when Arteta and the coaching staff conduct team discussions.

The end of the school year for 15-year-olds is when Dowman begins his Year 11 exams in September, which is significant because of this.

The club values the club greatly in the form of players who have completed their education, and Per Mertesacker, the former player and current academy manager, is responsible for this.

As he continues to develop as a player, Dowman has included study time at the training facility to ensure that his education is not interrupted.

When the Arsenal leadership group was traveling, you can see Declan Rice pictured next to Dowman, who previously led West Ham United and England.

Because he is seen as the ideal candidate to offer advice, Rice is one of the players chosen to serve as a youngster’s mentor because he has already started his own journey at a young age.

Due to age restrictions, Dowman is free to play for Arsenal in the Champions League, but he was unable to make his Premier League debut until this year.

A player over the age of 15 may play in the Champions League if he is listed on squad list A under no circumstances under Uefa rules.

However, according to FIFA regulations, he is unable to enter a professional relationship until 17 years old. The Premier League’s scholars’ age group typically earn less than £10, 000 annually on their scholarships.

Max Dowman is old enough to play in the Premier League – but not to get changed with his team-mates.

The winger continued to show why he is one of the top-rated young players in the country when he made his Premier League debut at 15 years and 234 days on Saturday against Leeds United.

The appearance made him the second-youngest player to represent the club and the second-youngest to play in the Premier League – with team-mate Ethan Nwaneri holding both records.

His talent and his rise are no shock to anyone who has been around Arsenal for the past couple of years. He has been training with the first-team squad since he was 14.

Having a player with so much promise competing in senior football means Arsenal have put measures in place both for his career progression and his safeguarding.

These include where he gets changed, a strong focus on his education and also making sure that a boy in an adult team environment is well supported by his team-mates.

Manager Mikel Arteta and the club have been cautious about how they manage Dowman’s progress.

One of the first big signs of his integration was Dowman being taken on the first team’s warm-weather training camp to Dubai in January aged just 14.

During the second half of the campaign, there were calls from supporters for him to be used when Arteta’s squad was affected by injuries.

Setting records is not unusual for Dowman. He played for England at the European Under-17 Championship in May, becoming the competition’s youngest scorer when he netted in a win over the Czech Republic.

The Arsenal squad have a security team around them when they travel to games and arrive at Emirates Stadium.

One of the security team is assigned to stay close to Dowman at all times and could be seen next to him alongside the pitch at Old Trafford when the teenager was in the travelling squad for the match against Manchester United but did not make the matchday 20.

Because of his age, Dowman has to get changed in a separate room to his team-mates before training sessions and on matchdays but is able to go into the changing room when team talks are done by Arteta and the coaching staff.

Dowman is entering Year 11 in September, a key time for 15-year-olds as it is the end of the year at which they sit their GCSEs.

Players completing their education is extremely important to the club and Per Mertesacker, the former player and now academy manager, is the driving force behind this.

Dowman has built-in study time at the training ground to ensure his education does not suffer while he continues his development as a player.

Declan Rice, part of the leadership group at Arsenal and who has captained former club West Ham United and England, has been seen pictured next to Dowman when the team have been travelling.

Rice is one of the players selected as a mentor to the youngster because, having started his own journey at a young age, he is viewed as an ideal candidate to give advice.

Dowman could not make his Premier League debut until this season because of age restrictions but he is free to play for Arsenal in the Champions League.

There is no Uefa rule regarding age restriction, meaning a player aged 15 could play in the Champions League if he is registered to squad list A.

Fifa rules state he cannot sign a professional contract until the age of 17, though. Dowman’s age group in the Premier League are known as scholars, and tend to earn less than £10,000 a year under their scholarship.

Ruben Amorim, the head coach of Manchester United, thinks his side is doing better if they don’t have a distraction campaign for the season.

United are only the second time ever since English clubs returned to Uefa competition following a five-year suspension in 1990 due to their 15th-placed Premier League finish and their Europa League final defeat by Tottenham.

With Wednesday’s tie at League Two Grimsby their first meeting since 1948, they must begin their Carabao Cup campaign one round earlier than usual.

Amorim believes that in comparison to the free time he and his players will get between games as the season progresses, this is a minor issue.

He claimed that “we were not interested in playing in the Premier League and Europe.”

“We need time to develop as a team.”

In 2014, United made its way to round two of the competition, which ended in agony with a 4-0 defeat at then-League MK Dons, who had Dele Alli, 18, in their side.

The goal is to replace the team that started Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Fulham as a result.

We need rotation to win every game because we have three games this week and quality players, Amorim said.

Kobbie Mainoo and Harry Maguire, along with midfielders Manuel Ugarte and Joshua Zirkzee, have been senior substitutes but have had few or none of their playing time so far this season.

Along with Tyler Fredricson and Ayden Heaven, goalkeeper Andre Onana is likely to face off in the competition.

The versatile Morocco defender’s trip to Blundell Park may come too soon for him because Wesair Mazraoui is yet to play due to an injury that kept him out of the pre-season.

Amorim remarked, “He is near.” We are just getting started on some drills with him to make sure there won’t be any more issues.

Rasmus Hojlund is not expected to join Napoli’s ongoing loan negotiations, which are continuing. The move, according to sources, is likely to occur sooner than the departures of Antony, Jadon Sancho, Alejandro Garnacho, and Tyrell Malacia, the four remaining members of Amorim’s “bomb squad.”

After losing to Arsenal on the opening weekend of the season, Manchester United have already collected one point from their first two Premier League games. Amorim needs to take the Carabao Cup seriously given that the winners will qualify for Europe, which the club has stated as its season goal.

A year of unaffected midweek European distractions offers a chance to reset. Anything more than that would cause a lot of financial strain.

“We need time to establish a foundation before moving forward,” Amorim said.