England go into the upcoming international season with an XXL squad. Not included is youngster Max Dowman (16), for whom Thomas Tuchel has nevertheless opened a door for the World Cup.
When Thomas Tuchel announced his 35-player XXL squad for the upcoming international season on Friday morning, one name was unsurprisingly not on the list: Max Dowman. The Arsenal FC winger was nevertheless a topic of discussion at Tuchel’s press conference. After all, Dowman only recently made the headlines again when he led Arsenal to a late victory over Everton with an assist and an outstanding solo goal and, at just 16 years and 73 days old, became the youngest goalscorer in the Premier League.
His coach Mikel Arteta was not the only one to sing the praises of his jewel, who he had already used once in the Champions League at the age of 15, making him the youngest player in the tournament’s history. Although Dowman has been out for some time with an ankle injury, the youngster, who signed a long-term contract at the end of January, is now back in the thick of the action – and despite not being called up, is an option for Tuchel.
“Everyone who tells me about Max is full of praise for him,” said Tuchel on Friday, before going on to assess Dowman’s current situation: “The reality at the moment is that he has to fight for playing time, he’s not a regular at Arsenal.” However, the winger is “in the best possible environment, in a competitive club, in a stable club, in a club where teamwork is paramount.” According to Tuchel, Dowman is “learning from the very best every day.”
England’s national team coach put the brakes on a little, but still opened the door for Dowman to potentially take part in the World Cup in the summer. “We always have the option to maybe nominate him for the World Cup. With young players, it’s about keeping the momentum going and maintaining their enthusiasm. They have a certain fearlessness about them,“ praised Tuchel, who added, however, that there is currently ”no need to nominate him now and increase the pressure and the hype that comes with it.” Dowman can and should continue to create hype for himself.