Mikel Arteta will be delighted with what Max Dowman was spotted doing for Arsenal, his influence is clear

Max Dowman has been dazzling at Arsenal at the tender age of just 15, and Mikel Arteta will be delighted with how he is progressing.

Dowman first took part in first-team training aged 14 and has already made three senior appearances.

He was handed his Premier League debut against Leeds, chalking up an assist in his eye-catching 26-minute cameo, while he also featured in the defeat at Liverpool.

The teenager’s rapid rise has been remarkable, but Arteta has looked to play down the lofty expectations surrounding one of world football’s most exciting prospects.

However, he will secretly be pleased with a new aspect to Max Dowman’s game.

Max Dowman excels defensively vs West Ham

After being named on the bench by Mikel Arteta for Arsenal’s last two first-team fixtures, Dowman returned to the U21 fold for their match against West Ham on Saturday.

He played the full 90 minutes and scored in the 2-2 draw, finding the back of the net from distance.

It was a sumptuous strike which deserved to settle the game, but he also stood out at the other end of the pitch, according to Arsenal youth expert Jeorge Bird.

Bird wrote on X: “In the U21 game against West Ham it was notable that Dowman made a significant contribution defensively, which will certainly be useful in senior football.”

Arteta demands that his players work relentlessly across the entirety of the field, meaning his midfielders must create chances, arrive late on the edge of the box and also track opponents.

Declan Rice certainly ticks all of these boxes, and if Dowman is able to follow his example by adding more defensive nous, there is no telling just how far he can go at the very top level.

Declan Rice praises Max Dowman’s maturity

Rice looks to have taken Dowman and his fellow Hale End graduates under his wing, and he openly admitted to being blown away by their maturity since stepping into the first team.

“Obviously, Max is only 15, just going to be turning 16 in December,” Rice said. “I’ve never seen a 15-year-old so comfortable around the first team, it’s insane. They actually are just kids.

“I said to Max on the way back from pre-season tour, I couldn’t get my head around it that he was going back to school.

“He FaceTimed the other day and he had his school uniform on, and I was like: ‘Mate, you’ve just played in the Premier League a week ago, and now you’re walking back through the school gates’.

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