Max Dowman is already one of the sensations of the season after making his Premier League debut for Arsenal at the age of only 15.
Having won a penalty that afternoon against Leeds United, the teenager was included last week in Arsenal’s squad for the Champions League this term. If he features in the group stage before turning 16 on December 31, he will become the first 15-year-old to play in Europe’s elite club competition.
Regardless, his reputation already precedes him. Proof of that was delivered in San Pedro del Pinatar, Spain, on Saturday as he lined up for England’s under-19s against their Spanish counterparts. Dowman was fouled at least nine times during the game, with anger at the treatment he received spilling over into a confrontation between players from both sides after the final whistle.
Once tempers had calmed down, though, the Arsenal forward was the most sought-after player with the supporters in attendance, who queued up for autographs and selfies with the youngster.
The Athletic attended the entertaining 3-3 draw and spoke exclusively with the head coaches, Will Antwi and David Cubillo, about the 15-year-old who continues to make waves.
San Pedro del Pinatar is a small town in Murcia, south east Spain, boasting just over 25,000 inhabitants. But since 2013 it has become particularly popular for its football tournament at the Pinatar Arena.
In addition to inviting professional teams for pre-season training camps, the complex hosts tournaments for both men’s and women’s youth teams during international breaks. It is popular both for its facilities — there are seven pitches — and the relatively mild temperatures throughout the year. It was still quite hot and humid on Saturday, clinging to the summer climate, but that did not seem to bother Dowman.
The Arsenal player had arrived a day later at the team’s camp having featured for Arsenal in their defeat against Liverpool last Sunday. He started the team’s opening fixture, a 2-0 win against Ukraine last Wednesday, on the bench. His cameo that afternoon amounted to 20 minutes with Antwi, as is customary in these tournaments, rotating his options to share out game-time.
But the England head coach started Dowman on the right against Spain, and he duly impressed.
Dowman wows the crowd in Murcia (Manuel Queimadelos/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)
To put his involvement into context, many of the players he found himself up against — such as Real Madrid’s Jesus Fortea and Daniel Yanez — were two or three years older than the 15-year-old, but the Englishman more than held his own. In truth, at 6ft and growing, Dowman was actually more physically imposing than some of the Spanish players.
But what really marked him out was his ability on the ball.
In the first five minutes, the winger picked up possession and dribbled forward — and was fouled on both occasions by his marker, Davinchi. The latter and has already made three appearances in La Liga this season for Getafe under Jose Bordalas, a side known for their aggressive approach. His means of attempting to deal with Dowman’s threat rather set the tone though, moments later, the Arsenal player nutmegged the defender and drew appreciative applause from the crowd.
Thereafter theirs became a constant battle, with the Getafe defender regularly resorting to kicks and trips to stop his man. Dowman required treatment to his ankle from medical staff on the field after the seventh foul — inside the first 36 minutes — from Davinchi.
Davinchi brings Dowman down (Alex Caparros – The FA/The FA via Getty Images)
“I think if you’re a good winger, that’s going to come your way, so he has to find a way to adapt and we have to help protect him,” Antwi told The Athletic after the game. “In a different game the referee gives a few more cautions. Today there were eight fouls on him before anyone got a yellow card, and that’s not right.
“It’s the way he plays; (the opposition) have to find a way to stop him. I don’t think it’s deliberate. He has the skill to cause opponents those problems.”
The situation reached a point where even local fans were calling for a yellow card for their compatriot as the string of fouls continued, with Dowman complaining angrily to the referee. When he was not being brought down, Dowman still had time to fire off a first-half shot that was deflected just wide by the flustered Spanish defence.
He was more decisive after the break, winning the penalty — after dribbling beyond Davinchi — from which England made it 2-2. That run drew applause from the enthusiastic crowd. The Spanish head coach, Cubillo, immediately substituted Davinchi to prevent him from being sent off for more fouls on his tormentor.
“I saw him (Dowman) against Ukraine and he’s a very unpredictable player — he reminded me a bit of (Adnan) Januzaj in his early days with that left foot, that touch, that change of pace,” said Cubillo. “Today he surprised me because I saw him playing very directly.
“He’s a player who, because of the way he plays, is going to be fouled a lot. We didn’t want to stop him with fouls; we wanted to stop him with help (from his team-mates), but in the end, his quality means that’s what happens.”
Dowman glides beyond Jose Antonio Morante (Alex Caparros – The FA/The FA via Getty Images)
Dowman was substituted midway through the second half and was congratulated by his team-mates and coaching staff for his efforts. His appearances in San Pedro del Pinatar have helped boost attendances at the tournament, but there were also scouts from Europe’s elite clubs — such as Milan, Barcelona, Bayer Leverkusen, Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United — watching on from the stands.
The Athletic spoke to some of those present, granting them anonymity to protect relationships, and they expressed amazement at Dowman’s quality, comparing his dribbling ability to that of Barcelona and Spain forward Lamine Yamal. They acknowledged, however, that there is little chance of any suitor prising him away from Arsenal.
The player’s entourage were also in the stands, accompanied by an Arsenal employee. It is early days for Dowman, still, and predicting how a youngster will continue to develop can be perilous, with so much still to learn, but there is satisfaction for now at his progress.
“His age is his age, but his football ability is his football ability,” added Antwi. “I’m not gambling because he already played for Arsenal. As we saw today, he has the ability to attack; to attack really well. In football, when you’re good enough, you’re old enough, and he can play at this level.
“If you didn’t know his age and you saw him playing football, he makes the difference.”
England’s participation at the tournament concludes on Tuesday against the Netherlands, when Dowman will have another opportunity to shine. Regardless of how he performs, this is a player who is making quite the impression.
(Top photo: Manuel Queimadelos/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)
