“I have never seen such a talented player in my whole life…For me he’s better than Lamine Yamal and Estevao Willian”: Liverpool coach Arne Slot hails Arsenal starlet who’s better than Lamine Yamal and Estevao Willian
Arsenal legend Gilberto Silva has revealed that he has been stunned by the development of teenage sensation Max Dowman this season, while speaking exclusively to GIVEMESPORT.
The Gunners have had a fantastic start to the season so far, sitting top of the Premier League table after seven games, while also having won both of their games in the Champions League. That is despite the club signing eight new players during the summer transfer window.
But the big story of the season so far has been the involvement of 15-year-old talent Dowman, who made his Premier League debut in the victory over Leeds United, where he came off the substitutes bench to win a penalty and dazzled in a 5-0 win.
Gilberto: Arsenal Must Protect Dowman
Dowman has been described by many as one of the top young talents in Europe, and following his debut, Mikel Arteta also brought the teenager on as a late substitute at Anfield while they chased a goal, while he also came on against Port Vale in the Carabao Cup third round.
Gilberto was speaking at the Portugal Football Summit in Lisbon, and he caught up with GIVEMESPORT correspondents Ben Jacobs and Paul Gilmour, who asked him about his thoughts on the youngster – and the Invincibles midfielder admitted that he was ‘wowed’ with what he saw.
“Max Dowman, wow. I saw him in pre-season.
“You know what I really like, with these young players, that kind of personality. It doesn’t matter how young they are, they play with personality. Don’t be scared or afraid of trying things, dribbling, giving a pass, trying something different with their ability.
“This is so important to build their confidence, but also it’s important to give them time.”
Dowman has found himself on the bench in both Champions League games so far this season but hasn’t featured, while Arteta has protected him from playing too much in the first-team.
The former Brazil international admits that is a good thing for the player and shows the club are doing the right thing, and urged the fans and media not to put too much pressure on the young prodigy despite his obvious talent.
“Don’t put so much pressure on them. Help them with the pressure, because if you play football it doesn’t matter where you are, you are under pressure. It doesn’t matter if you’re young or a senior player, you are under pressure always to perform when you put the shirt on.
“But the job of the manager, the club, the senior players, is to give those younger talents the support they need to perform and don’t get distracted from what is around them.”
Dowman is currently on international duty with the England Under-19 squad despite being just 15, and will be hoping to get back into the mix with Arsenal when they take on Fulham at Craven Cottage in their next fixture.
