Former Arsenal star Ashley Cole has warned fans against heaping too much pressure on academy starlet Max Dowman so early in his career.
The youngster has become a well-known name among the stands at the Emirates Stadium, with supporters keen to learn all about the next up-and-coming talent from the Hale End academy.
With the recent success of Ethan Nwaneri, who remains the youngest-ever Arsenal player to make an appearance, and Myles Lewis-Skelly, the youth ranks have come in for plenty of praise.
Attention among those at Arsenal has naturally turned to who could be the next star to come through, with many tipping Max Dowman to be just that.
The attacking playmaker only turned 15 years old a few months ago, but has been involved in plenty of first-team training sessions under Mikel Arteta.
Having played above his age group already, John Terry tipped Dowman for the very top, but there’s still a long way left to go.
Ashley Cole warns Arsenal fans about heaping pressure on Max Dowman
Despite largely featuring in the under-18s, with an appearance at under-21s level, Max Dowman has become incredibly well-known among the fanbase.
Impressive performances and some mentions from Mikel Arteta have put the youngster in the spotlight, despite still being in his developmental stage.
Whether he will go on to have a big career as he has been tipped for remains to be seen; however, former Arsenal star Ashley Cole has warned against putting too much pressure on him at this stage.
Speaking on That Peter Crouch Podcast, the ex-left-back said: “With Max [Dowman], again, another one that has come through the Arsenal ranks.
“Obviously, you know with everything online, you get to see little clips of these players… It’s tough because I don’t know how they handle pressure, because firstly, you’re giving these players a platform right…
“It’s great because the players are getting exposure right, but on the flip side of that, there’s also adding pressure, and do you want to add pressure to a 16-year-old?
“Their time will come if they keep continuing to do what they’re doing and playing well and really harping on their trade. Everyone will know their name in two or three years.
“There’s a lot of pressure on these kids. We’re talking about him. Has he even played a first-team game yet? That’s what I’m saying. In my opinion, you have to be a little more careful on how you handle this younger generation, these young players, because you heap pressure on these players, and I don’t think it’s fair.
“Like everyone now, I bet every Arsenal fan is going ‘why is he not being more involved in the first team? Why is he not getting a chance?’ Well, hold up, he’s doing exams by the way, similar to Myles [Lewis-Skelly] and all that.
“But let’s relax a little bit and let time take its toll, and hopefully they’ll get the opportunity and everyone will know their name.”
It’s a clear warning to fans over a youngster who still has plenty ahead of him before he can reach the top level, but needs time to do so.
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Max Dowman pathway could follow Ethan Nwaneri’s at Arsenal
Dowman isn’t the first youngster to face such immense pressure at a young age, with Ethan Nwaneri another to have been on that path.
The Arsenal starlet was handed his senior debut at just 15 years old, which was an incredibly early stage to get put into.
Since then, the club have allowed him to develop and shielded him from much of the noise that has surrounded his place in the team.
Fast forward to this season, and Nwaneri has been handed his chance, showing exactly what he can do a few years on with that development.
There’s still plenty more room to grow for the 18-year-old, but it shows the pathway that Dowman could follow.
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