Max Dowman was so fearless that he completely ignored Jack Wilshere’s advice on his Arsenal U18s debut

Jack Wilshere handed Max Dowman his Arsenal U18s debut when he was just 13 years old.

The teenager has been viewed as one of the biggest talents in the Gunners’ academy for a few years now, and he was officially promoted to the first team in the summer.

Dowman is fearless every time he gets on the pitch, but this is nothing new. He has been the same since he was a kid.

Photo by Eddie Keogh/Getty Images

Max Dowman left Jack Wilshere amazed after ignoring his advice at Arsenal

Jack Wilshere and Max Dowman share a fantastic relationship to this day, but it all started a couple of years ago.

Arsenal appointed Wilshere as their U18s manager in the summer of 2022, right after he retired, and he spent a little over two seasons in that role.

In 2023, the current Luton Town boss decided to hand Dowman his debut, even though he was just 13 years old at the time.

Before bringing him on, Wilshere instructed the youngster to stay away from duels and to stick to one or two touches.

However, Dowman ignored that advice and went on an incredible run past a few players to help the Arsenal U18s extend their lead.

Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images

Watching on from the sidelines, Wilshere was beyond amazed.

He told the Mirror: “I remember playing him for the 18s, and he was 13 and we were playing Southampton, a good academy. We were 2-0 up and I remember saying to my assistant: ‘Let’s get Max on the pitch.’

“I stood next to him, and he was already taller than me! I remember saying to him: ‘Max, remember you are playing against players who are five years older than you, which is fine, but don’t get into duels, just pop it round and have one or two touches.’

“He came on and the first thing he did, he ran around three players, squared it and we scored. I looked at my assistant, and I’d never seen this before.”

In the same interview, Wilshere claimed that Dowman is better than he was at the same age.

Jack Wilshere’s honest admission about Arsenal wonderkid Max Dowman

“People say: ‘Is he better than you?’ He is better than me!”

Max Dowman’s fearlessness is going to make him a superstar

It’s very rare to see a 13-year-old playing five years above his age group, so Dowman deserves immense praise for that alone.

However, to show the fearlessness that he did by taking players on, even when his manager asked him to keep things simple, is what will make him a star.

The greats of the game, like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, had the same bravery when they were young and showed no nervousness when they were on the pitch against older players.

We’re not saying that Dowman will reach Messi or Ronaldo’s level, but he definitely has the ability, potential and personality to become a big name in the game in the coming years.