Wayne Rooney offers 'crazy' Max Dowman verdict and gives advice to Arsenal wonderkid

Wayne Rooney says Arsenal teenager Max Dowman is the talk of the footballing world and destined for a “massive future” following his impressive Premier League debut.

Attacking midfielder Dowman became the second youngest player to represent the Gunners after coming on as a substitute aged 15 years and 234 days during Saturday’s 5-0 win over Leeds.

The schoolboy capped an eye-catching 26-minute cameo by earning a late penalty, which was converted by Viktor Gyokeres.

Rooney made his Everton debut aged 16 in 2002 and was five days short of his 17th birthday when he briefly became the Premier League’s youngest goalscorer by registering a stunning late winner against Arsenal.

“To play at that age in the Premier League is crazy,” the former England captain said of Dowman, speaking on his BBC podcast, The Wayne Rooney Show.

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“I know I played when I was young, but I think he’s like 150 days younger than I was, or more.

“For Max and his family and friends, I’m sure they’re all living in a dream and a fairytale and it probably hasn’t hit home yet. But you can see his future is so bright, he is going to have a massive future. Everyone you speak to in football, the same name keeps coming back: Max Dowman.”

Dowman’s team-mate Ethan Nwaneri remains the youngest player in Premier League history after featuring in Arsenal’s 3-0 victory at Brentford in September 2022 at the age of 15 years and 181 days.

Speaking of the challenges of being thrust into the limelight, Rooney, now 39, said: “It’s surreal. It’s so strange that one minute you’re in the youth team and the next you’re in the first-team dressing room with some of your heroes.

“It’s something you really need to get used to quickly because it can be overwhelming. Max Dowman looks like a very level-headed lad from everything I’ve seen and you hope he manages to deal with it and understands what’s coming his way very soon.”

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