Arsenal has approached the subject of Max Dowman with understandable prudence.

Early last season, the Gunners opted to maintain a discreet stance regarding the exceptionally gifted teenager, who at just 14, was already attracting attention from several Premier League competitors, as reported by Daily Mail Sport in December 2024.

Being still a child, the club holds a responsibility to nurture and protect such a young yet extraordinarily skilled player.

However, his trajectory has now taken a dramatic turn. John Terry is the latest to liken Dowman to a young Lionel Messi, echoing Mikel Arteta’s similar comparison in January.

Once considered a prospect for the future, this prodigy is now integral to Arsenal’s current strategy.

Arsenal have been understandably cautious around the topic of their young star Max Dowman

The 16-year-old has been called a generational talent and scored against Everton on Saturday 

It was inevitable, as the club has long regarded him as a once-in-a-generation talent, and he has been a key part of Arteta’s midfield vision from the season’s outset.

Dowman suffered an ankle injury in a behind-closed doors friendly against Manchester United in December, which delayed the inevitable unleashing of a super talent.

The way he had sat Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall on the seat of his pants with a swift pivot to the opposite direction before scoring against Everton on Saturday encapsulated what the teenager has been doing all his life. Embarrassing those much older than himself is nothing new.

Aged four, the Brentwood-born star was spotted by scout John Knight and taken into Arsenal’s pre-academy set-up.

At Billericay Town Colts, aged seven he was playing with the Under 9s. Skipping age groups has been a theme since he first wore a pair of football boots. By 10, he was training one-on-one with the Billericay Under 23 coaches. From there, his rise has been unprecedented.

At 13, he became the youngest player to represent Arsenal’s Under 18s, achieving the same feat with the Under 21s aged 14, while also playing for England’s Under 17s and training with Arsenal’s first team.

Dowman is said to be mature for his age, which is understood to have had further convinced Arteta of his readiness to initially join the first team.

His physical stature has also been a plus. He is, as expected, continuing to grow and last season had already reached 6ft — having been registered at 5ft 7in in the 2023-24 campaign, during which he turned 14.

This allows him to overwhelm opponents years older than him, paired with rapid acceleration from a standing point and tight ball control to slalom his way past multiple players in one sequence.

As seen by the youngster’s 28 touches of the ball in the 23-minute cameo against Everton, his team-mates see him as their equal and are not concerned about giving him responsibility.

Dowman has broken numerous records in the Gunners’ youth system for numerous years now

The youngster’s move allowed him to break free from Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall against Everton

With his tender age in mind, the north London club were wary of giving him too much exposure. Yet, once he turned 15 on New Year’s Eve of 2024, Arsenal quickly moved from shielding the teenager to showcasing him as a future star — even posting him on their official X account, which boasts over 22 million followers.

Just last month, Dowman starred in an Adidas commercial alongside Arsenal great Ian Wright. That is not normal for someone so young.

A crucial juncture was his surprise inclusion on the team’s February 2025 mid-season break in Dubai. It’s understood that he surprised first-teamers with his ability in those sessions, and from there has not looked back.

It does help that his background is entrenched in football. His father Robert, who previously coached youth teams at Billericay, was co-owner of the Isthmian League club from November 2019 to February 2023.

He and businessmen Greg Lake, David McCartney, Alex Morrissey and Nick Hutt formed a consortium after ex-owner millionaire Glenn Tamplin had walked away. At the time, ex-Spurs midfielder Jamie O’Hara was player-manager.

Dowman’s sheer talent was always there, supported by a family who have maximised his opportunities from the start.

He went to a Football Escapes camp — a family holiday programme combined with football coaching by ex-Premier League stars such as Mark Noble and Michael Dawson — in Portugal aged nine, for example.

Dowman did a rare interview with the company in August 2024, where he said on training with the first team: ‘The first time we were just defending, and I felt like a moving mannequin. I wasn’t really involving myself that well because I was just defending.

‘But the second time it was attack vs defence. I got myself more involved and I did better than the first time.

‘It was really enjoyable. It was really surreal for me to be honest.’

Dowman has been showcased on social media by the club as their future star in recent months 

On which players he felt starstruck around, he namechecked Declan Rice and William Saliba.

Rice has particularly taken the player under his wing, mentoring him off the pitch and supporting in the way Mark Noble did for the England midfielder when he was rising through the ranks at West Ham.

His heroics against Everton could well be one of the defining moments for Arsenal’s title charge.

He has already signed a pre-contract agreement with the club, which kicks in when he turns 17 in nine months’ time. Only then will be officially turn professional.

For now, Arsenal will tread carefully with a talent so young — but if Max Dowman’s rise continues on this path, the Gunners may already have found the player who shapes their future for years to come.