Wayne Rooney is excited by the potential of Arsenal teenage feeling Max Dowman but don’t expect to see ‘much of him’ for long Premier League ran.
Dowman, 16, became the Premier League’s youngest ever goalscorer when he scored Arsenal’s second goal in a 2-0 win over Everton on Saturday.
The Gunners, hoping to win their first league title since 2004, looked set to drop two points at home to Everton, but late goals from Victor Gyokeres and Dowman achieved another decisive victory.
with Manchester City failing to defeat the downfall warriors West Ham later in the day, Arsenal now find themselves nine points clear at the top of the Premier League with seven games remaining.
Arsenal fans are delighted with Dowman, who made his Premier League debut in August, and hope to see more of the England U19 star as the Gunners chase an unprecedented quadruple.
As well as leading the title race, Mikel Arteta’s side are in the knockout stages of the Champions League, next weekend’s Carabao Cup final and the FA Cup quarter-finals.
It has been suggested that Dowman could have a big role to play for Arsenal in these four competitions, but Rooney believes his playing time and development will be carefully managed.
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“He’s got his GCSEs and his education, I’m sure for him and his family, that’s important too,” said the former Manchester United and England captain. The Wayne Rooney Show.
“What an opportunity for him to be around the team. He could be a Premier League winner while still finishing school.
“He’s got an aura and a confidence about him and it was the same against Everton. If it’s education first, I don’t think we’ll see much of him over the next few weeks.
“He won’t be as much as he’d like, but then you’ve got a lot of years ahead of you.”
Discussing Dowman’s ability, Rooney added: “He seems, from the games I’ve seen, not to let the pressure get to him.
“He gets the ball, holds it, engages the defenders, goes to get them and so there seems to be confidence in him.
“Mikel Arteta, some of the older players in the Arsenal squad, won’t let him get ahead. But I think you have to enjoy it too.
“Sometimes people think that enjoying success is arrogant, and I just think they do it in (the U.S.). They enjoy it and celebrate it.
So when we have a young guy like him coming in as a 16-year-old, he’s got a lot of ability and you just hope he can go and fulfill that potential.
“Let him enjoy and go and express himself.”
£64million striker Gyokeres was among those to praise Dowman after his match-winning contribution against Everton.
“When you see him play, you don’t think he’s 16,” Gyokeres said. “You don’t think about that when he has the ball with the composure and confidence he plays with.
“It’s unbelievable – to see him score that goal was amazing. He’s developing.
“He picked up an injury and was out for a while so I didn’t see him for a few months, but now he’s back and he’s still playing with the confidence he did before.
“He makes a lot of right decisions when he goes on the pitch. He’s an outstanding player and a very good one.”
Arsenal ended their Premier League title charge this week as attention turns to the Champions League and a last-16 second leg against Bayer Leverkusen.
Arteta’s side were not at their best in the first leg in Germany, but Kai Havertz’s late penalty. earned the Premier League leaders a 1-1 draw against his former side.
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