Max Dowman has the opportunity to accomplish a milestone that Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal was unable to reach, following his recent breakthrough at Arsenal.
The 16-year-old midfielder made his debut in Arsenal’s 1-0 defeat to Liverpool on Sunday, 31 August, coming on late in the game. His performance left former Gunners legend Paul Merson stunned, praising the youngster’s immediate impact after stepping up from the academy.
At present, Youssoufa Moukoko of Borussia Dortmund holds the record as the youngest player to feature in the competition, with other stars such as Yamal and Manchester City’s Rayan Cherki also making appearances at the age of 16.
However, Dowman’s situation is slightly different. Despite being born in the UK and joining Arsenal’s academy back in 2015, he does not qualify as a “locally-trained” player. This means he must take up a place in Mikel Arteta’s 25-man “A” squad, which is required to include at least eight locally-trained players.
Even with this rule, Dowman has the chance to play a unique and potentially historic role in Arteta’s side this season.
