Arsenal youngster Max Dowman had previously revealed that he was left in awe of two players in senior training after making the step up.
Despite only turning 15 years old at the end of last year, Max Dowman has been a name discussed around Arsenal for a few months.
The Hale End academy starlet has already featured in senior training with Mikel Arteta, showing plenty of potential already.
Featuring in the under-18s largely, the youngster has taken well to youth football as he looks to progress further.
While there is still plenty of room left to grow and improve, Dowman is one option that has first-team football in his sights for the future.
Max Dowman revealed Declan Rice and William Saliba inspiration
Despite being so young, Dowman has already been up against plenty of the Arsenal first-team stars in training this season.
For some, especially a fan of the club, there can be a star-struck feeling surrounding the situation and meeting potential idols.
Speaking in August 2024, Dowman named both William Saliba and Declan Rice in response to a question surrounding those he was “star-struck” by in training.
Speaking to Football Escapes, he said: “I’d say [William] Saliba or Declan Rice… Just the way they played, how composed they were and how they carried themselves in training.”
There was plenty of praise for the pair, with it later being revealed that Rice has decided to help mentor Dowman moving forward.
Declan Rice revealed he is mentoring Max Dowman at Arsenal
While Rice was once in the position Dowman is, he is now looking to pass on his own experience to help the Arsenal youngster thrive.
Speaking to the BBC, the midfielder was full of praise for the 15-year-old, stating: “I have had so many texts about Max [Dowman] recently.
“At 15, there is such a long way to go. You can be the best 15-year-old in the country, but it doesn’t necessarily mean you are going to be at 18.
“So, you need to be hungry, keep working and keep pushing. I speak to Max a lot and he has got such a good family around him. He is unreal.”
Dowman is one of three youngsters making an impact in the first-team setup, with Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly also featuring in a more senior role.
On the trio, Rice revealed he is mentoring them, claiming: “I have a great relationship with all three of them because Max gets to train with us quite a lot.
“I have kind of taken these three under my wing, because I have been in that position before and I had older players help me out.
“I get on well with all of them and they are really comfortable around me, which is all part of having a good relationship.”
It shows the work off the pitch the midfielder manages to get in to help Arsenal thrive for now and in the future.
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