At 14, the world is both your oyster and a forbidden fruit. Your whole life is ahead of you and adolescence should be cherished, yet you can seldom enjoy the wonders of adulthood ahead. For most wannabe footballers, they’re still fighting for their careers on a year-by-year basis, dreading their end-of-season reviews.
Max Dowman was born on the very last day of the 2000s. He wouldn’t have been old enough to remember prime Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, or understand the significance of Sergio Aguero’s title-winner, or realise how England’s collapse to Iceland at Euro 2016 tore a nation apart more than the Brexit referendum. It won’t be until next decade that he will be able to legally drink during a World Cup.
And yet here he is, training with the Arsenal first team and playing at several age levels up. It’s probably a safe bet that he won’t be told to leave the Gunners ranks anytime soon.
So who is Dowman and why is he already on the cusp of featuring for one of England’s best sides? GOAL is here to take you through all you need to know…