Jack Wilshere has disclosed that Arsenal want to accelerate the progress of 14-year-old academy talent Max Dowman after his impressive performances for the U18s.
Dowman made his debut in the U18s in September 2023 – at only 13 years old – and has continued to shine under the guidance of former midfielder Wilshere.
Dowman, also a midfielder, played a key role in the team’s 5-2 victory over Fulham on Saturday.
He provided four assists, and Wilshere is already considering a potential first-team appearance in the near future.
‘There’s always a worry when fielding such a young player in these matches, but if you’re good enough, you’re old enough,’ Wilshere told club media. ‘He can be more consistent but he’s only 14 and hasn’t even started his GCSEs yet.
‘We need to find a balance of letting him play and enjoy the game because of his age but also trying to get as much work into him as we can.
‘Hopefully, we can fast-track him and when he goes over to the first team he’ll be more ready.’
Discussing his team’s performance in general, Wilshere said: ‘I really enjoyed [it]. We had a mix of players ranging from under-14s to under-18s.
‘It’s always interesting to see how they play together, how they fight together, and today, I felt we saw a lot of that.
‘It’s reassuring to know that if I field an under-14 who isn’t a regular in our training sessions, I can trust that they understand our playing style and tactics.
‘Today, they showed that understanding perfectly, which is a testament to the hard work of all our coaches.’
Arsenal have had multiple academy players from Hale End move up to first-team football in recent years, including Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith-Rowe.
Dowman may be looking to follow in the footsteps of fellow Gunners youngster Ethan Nwaneri who became the youngest player to play in an English top-flight match when he appeared against Brentford in September 2022 at just 15 years old.
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