Arsenal starlet Max Dowman just can’t escape the spotlight as he continues to impress for club and country.
Dowman was promoted to the England U19 squad, which is quite the achievement given that he’s still only 15 years old.
Mikel Arteta has also handed the teen his Premier League debut already, with a clear pathway to Arsenal’s first team there for the youngster.
Over the September international break, Dowman impressed for England U19, playing his first minutes at that level against Ukraine and then Spain.
Max Dowman compared to Adnan Januzaj by Spain U19 coach David Cubillo
Dowman was fouled so many times against Spain U19 that it became a talking point after the thrilling 3-3 draw between the two sides.
It wasn’t only from an England point of view that the Arsenal prodigy was being discussed, as Spain U19’s boss David Cubillo shared some words about the playmaker post-match.
Speaking to The Athletic, Cubillo described Dowman as a ‘very unpredictable player’, and then went on to compare the teen to former Manchester United player Adnan Januzaj.
“I saw him [Dowman] against Ukraine, and he’s a very unpredictable player; he reminded me a bit of Januzaj in his early days with that left foot, that touch, that change of pace,” Cubillo said.
The Spanish coach went on to forgive his players for consistently fouling Dowman the way they did, suggesting it’s something the Englishman will have to get used to.
“He’s a player who, because of the way he plays, is going to be fouled a lot. We didn’t want to stop him with fouls; we wanted to stop him with help, but in the end, his quality means that’s what happens.”
It’s stellar feedback from a coach of the opposition; however, when it comes to Januzaj comparisons, Dowman will hope his career plays out very differently.
Dowman won’t want his career to follow Januzaj’s
There was a time when Januzaj was the next big thing at Manchester United, but things just never panned out for the Belgian the way that many had hoped.
In 2019, Nicky Butt admitted to ESPN that Januzaj’s failure to reach the top at Man United was one of the biggest disappointments of his career with United’s academy.
“For me, the biggest disappointment at this club was Adnan Januzaj,” Butt said.
“I don’t think I’ve seen a player, probably since Ryan [Giggs], who was as good as that. He was unbelievable. In my eyes, he should have gone on to be a world superstar.”
Comparisons to a young Januzaj are fantastic for Dowman, but with that comes pressure not to replicate the underwhelming path the winger followed.
Now 30 and sporting a Transfermarkt market value of just £1m, Januzaj’s highs undoubtedly came early in his career.
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