It wasn’t the Emirates or the Premier League but that didn’t matter for Max Dowman.
High up in the northern Portugal hills, the 16-year-old Arsenal star offered a compelling glimpse into the future of England’s attack with a goal of the season contender and two assists in a rousing 6-0 victory for England’s under-19s.
In front of just a few hundred spectators, he ran relentlessly at a Portugal backline that crumbled under the intense pressure of his trickery. The scoreline may indicate a rout in every department, but it was Dowman’s sharp and creative display that made the difference.
Showcasing these skills is nothing new to Dowman. He has already experienced an unforgettable moment in the Premier League this season, running virtually the length of the field to score Arsenal’s match-clinching goal against Everton, but if Portugal’s youngsters were hoping he would ease off in the less intense surroundings of Estadio Amelia Morais just outside Braga in northern Portugal, they were mistaken.
England’s U19 coach, Will Antwi, finds it both funny and commendable how he’s handling the noise. “He’s quite attuned to his profile,” he told The Athletic. “He just gets on with his football and plays. I think it’s abnormal to us all because he’s so young, but to him, it’s just normal. Nothing has been a problem, he just gets his boots on, poses for the pictures when he’s asked and is very graceful about it.”
Max Dowman celebrates his goal against Everton (Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
Perhaps, if anything, these last few days have actually felt like a refreshing break from the Premier League glare, not to mention the stress of revising for his upcoming GCSE exams.
Two wins out of three games wasn’t enough for England to secure qualification for this summer’s U19 Euros in Wales but there still might be an even greater stage for Dowman if he ends the season with a flourish following return from injury.
As the content machine around him intensifies and the hype accelerates around the continent, the English Football Association has worked hard to protect him. At the weekend when he sat on the sidelines for the game against Poland, suspended after picking up two bookings in the earlier qualifiers, he was marshalled by a member of security staff who limited access to just a few selfies with local kids.
Back in England, Arsenal are taking even greater care, although it is becoming increasingly difficult to keep a lid on expectations. There is, however, a realisation that the way he is handled now will be crucial to his long-term development.
Still, the feeling continues to be that this fearless teenager is not fazed by the size of an audience, big or small. He only has one way to play and it’s at full throttle. He drives and dribbles, putting the opponent constantly on the back foot and if it doesn’t work out, he’ll go again.
There’s a saying in Portugal,”Quem não risk, não petisca”, which roughly translates as “no risk, no reward.” It was an apt way to describe Dowman’s performance against Portugal.
Even when he was substituted after a challenge, he remained the centre of attention, infuriating opponents by not leaving the pitch quickly enough. It was the only laboured thing he did all afternoon.
As a few of the locals also heckled from the stands, he raised his hands to applaud them, watching on with a giant smile when a flock of children ran down the aisles to get close to him in the dugout.
No doubt, though, it was his goal that was the defining moment. He picked the ball up midway in his own half, spun the defender and the raced forward towards goal.
As he burst away from two more defenders, the others started to back off and he sensed an opening…
Then came the end product; a stunning finish from the edge of the penalty area to add to his assists, like it was never in doubt.
To be treated to such a performance by a player not even old enough to buy a beer, is as satisfying as it is scary.
Last week, at a panel discussion for teenagers at a school in the West Midlands attended by The AthleticAston Villa’s under-18 coach Richard Beale reminded those in the room that throughout his entire career, he has seen only one player rise without interruption.
That was Jude Bellingham, who he coached at Birmingham City. Even Jack Grealish, a former pupil at the school, needed a loan spell at Notts County before breaking through at Villa and later securing a £100million move to Manchester City.
It underlines just how rare it is for even players gifted as Dowman to have a smooth trajectory to the top. Yet he is already a certified game-changer in the Premier League for the champions in-waiting, and his combination of raw pace, silky skills, tight control and supreme dribbling skills feels especially exciting in a season where long throw-ins and set pieces have dominated.
In an under-19 team also packed full of talent, Dowman makes it all look so easy, gliding across the grass, releasing the ball late. Other attackers such as Rio Ngumoha, who has made 21 appearances for Liverpool this season, and Chelsea’s Jesse Derry also have a bright future, but England’s star for now is the youngest player of the lot.
It may seem strange that he’s featuring at this level despite his club progress, but the feeling within the FA is that there’s no need to rush development.
Arsenal may have other ideas as Dowman now faces up to an FA Cup weekend and the Champions League quarter-final days later. He’s expected to be in the squad and ready to play a part if called upon.
Yet this is just the start and it is not unthinkable that in the years ahead England will be building their senior team around Dowman. The world has already woken up to his talents.
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