Arsenal skipper Martin Odegaard has urged patience with teenage prodigy Max Dowman after the 15-year-old midfielder impressed during the club’s pre-season tour.
Dowman has been fast-tracked into Mikel Arteta’s first-team picture after catching the eye against top-level opposition in Asia. He won a penalty in the 3-2 victory over Newcastle United and looked assured on debut against AC Milan in Singapore.
The youngster has already received the most eye-catching of comparisons, being likened to Lionel Messi by some over-exuberant Gunners fans. But Odegaard and the rest of Arsenal’s senior squad are keen to keep his feet on the ground as he takes his first steps in the first team.
‘He’s a top player, top talent, and I think everyone has seen it now in pre-season, what he’s done,’ Odegaard said on the Men in Blazers podcast.
‘I don’t want to put too much pressure on him and create too much of expectations around him, but we just need to give him time to be himself, to grow and learn.
‘Everyone can see the quality. The key thing for us is to help him, support him and make sure he can take it in his own way and his own time. I’m sure he’s going to be a great player for us.’
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Arsenal skipper Martin Odegaard has urged patience with teenage prodigy Max Dowman
Dowman has been fast-tracked into Mikel Arteta’s senior squad after catching the eye against top-level opposition in Asia
Odegaard, who was himself a teenage wonderkid when he joined Real Madrid at 16, believes his own experiences can help Dowman and fellow 15-year-old Marli Salmon adjust to the demands of senior football.
‘Life can change really quickly when you get into the first team, so I think I can use that experience to give them some advice here and there,’ he said.
On his most important piece of advice, he added: ‘Telling them to stay focused, work hard and to keep your focus where it has to be.
‘When you come through at a young age, there’s going to be a lot of expectations and a lot of hype, but you need to stay focused and keep enjoying your football.’
Dowman’s emergence comes after breakthrough campaigns for Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly last season. Both Hale End graduates featured prominently as term, and Arsenal believe Dowman can follow the same path.
Arteta has also spoken highly of the youngster, calling his performances ‘special’. The Spaniard was taken aback by how quickly the midfielder has adapted.
‘In my day, you would never see a star at 15 ready to play in the Premier League,’ he said after the Gunners’ win over Milan last month. ‘I think they are able to play at that level at 15 because of the environment and culture within the team.
‘It gives you the best chance, but then you have to have the qualities this kid has to deliver against opposition like this.’
Odegaard pledged to supporters that the players will do everything to take the final step and win the title
Declan Rice has gone further still, describing Dowman as the best 15-year-old in the country after seeing his impact in training and matches on tour.
For Arsenal, the dilemma is how to handle Dowman’s development. On one hand, Arteta is eager to integrate him gradually, but on the other, his quality is already such that he could play a role this season.
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Dowman will sit his GCSEs next spring, potentially at the same time Arsenal are chasing the Premier League title.
Arteta’s side have finished runners-up three years in a row, and while they are confident Dowman will be one of the next Hale End graduates to make an impact, the captain has also pledged to supporters that the squad will do everything to take the final step.
‘We need to take our lessons. We need to get better, we’re going to improve day by day, fight and give everything,’ said Odegaard.
‘We need the supporters, the love and the support throughout the season and I’m sure it’s going to be a special one.’