Max Dowman became the Premier League’s youngest-ever goalscorer earlier this month (AMA/Getty)
Theo Walcott ‘hopes’ Arsenal midfielder Max Dowman is not called up by Thomas Tuchel for England’s World Cup campaign this summer.
Dowman is widely regarded as one of the best young prospects in English football and earlier this month, the 16-year-old became the Premier League’s youngest-ever goalscorer with a brilliant solo effort to secure Arsenal’s 2-0 win over Everton.
Former Chelsea and England captain John Terry has likened Downman to Lionel Messi, while Tuchel has refused to rule out the prospect of including the uncapped midfielder in his World Cup squad.
‘I think he is at the moment competing and obviously a fantastic talent and an outstanding talent and at his age there cannot be a doubt about it,’ Tuchel said of Dowman last week.
‘Everyone who tells me about Max praises him and is full of compliments about him. The reality at the moment is also that he competes for minutes, he is not a regular starter for Arsenal.
‘He’s in a fantastic environment, the best possible environment. In a competitive and stable club. In a club where teamwork is the number one rule. He’s learning from the very best, in the very best environment.
Thomas Tuchel has refused to rule out the prospect of calling up Max Dowman for England (Getty)
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‘With these young guys, of course we know all these players. We see them as you do as well. At the moment I think he is in a good place to fight for his minutes at Arsenal. We always have the chance to call him, maybe, up for the World Cup.’
Walcott was in a similar position in 2006 when he was called up by Sven-Goran Eriksson for England’s World Cup campaign at the age of 17 and with no playing time in the Premier League.
Former Arsenal forward Walcott insists he would advise Dowman not to rush his senior debut for England and believes Arsenal are doing the right thing by ‘protecting’ the 16-year-old.
‘I hope he doesn’t go,’ Walcott said in an interview with The Mirror.
Theo Walcott was a surprise inclusion in England’s 2006 World Cup squad (Getty)
‘I don’t mean it in a horrible way because if I could go back in time, I would change things. I would say to myself, ‘no, no, don’t do it’, but then try telling that to a 17-year-old.
‘I do still see him and me differently as he’s playing in the Premier League but he needs to grow at his own pace, especially on the emotional side because he’s a young adult.
‘I had to grow up very fast but this team is still young and not as experienced. He’s being protected, which is important, whereas I had to get thrown in to talk to you lot [the media].
‘In time he will go, yes, but I don’t think this is the time and I think there are better players who arguably deserve to be there ahead of him.
‘He will eventually get there but England have wide players doing really well, there’s Bukayo [Saka], [Noni] Madueke, Jarrod Bowen and Anthony Gordon and Harvey Barnes on the other side.’
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