Mikel Arteta hopes Lionel Messi’s new ad campaign that named teenage prodigy Max Dowman among 10 players tipped to write soccer’s next chapter is accurate in its prediction.
Now that Messi is winding down his career—the first step of which was his recent farewell to the Argentina national team—attention is turning to the burgeoning superstars who could attempt to fill his shoes in the relatively near future.
Pushing that narrative of one era making way for the next, a new adidas commercial has seen Messi supposedly choose the emerging talents he believes can light up the next generation.
The cynical viewpoint questions how organic or authentic it could be—all 10 are conveniently adidas-signed athletes and more likely the recommendation of the brand’s marketing department than Messi himself. But the impact that Arsenal’s Dowman, by the age of 16, has already had in his fledgling career suggests he has the potential to reach world-class levels in due course.
Still, the question was put to Arteta this week about Messi’s apparent opinion on Dowman.
“If Messi, who is the best ever player, says that … his eyes are I think better than anybody else’s. Hopefully he’s right,” the Arsenal boss replied.
But whether it’s actually Messi’s personal opinion or not is irrelevant when it comes to Dowman. He played Under-18s soccer for the Gunners aged 13, and then for the Under-21s aged 14. He is the Premier League’s youngest ever goalscorer and its second youngest player. Dowman is additionally the youngest Premier League champion and the youngest ever Champions League player.
So far this season, Dowman has scored twice in a Carabao Cup victory for Arsenal and made one Premier League appearance, as he splits his time with the Under-21s. The Essex-born talent doesn’t celebrate his 17th birthday—and therefore cannot legally drive a car in the U.K.—until Dec. 31.
“In the few appearances he’s had, he’s already done remarkable things. That’s somebody that is touched with a special gift,” Arteta offered.
“He’s a joy to watch. The way he moves, the way he touches the ball, the way he carries himself, it’s just different. And that’s what makes him unique.”
What’s the Next Step for Max Dowman?
We may have seen JJ Gabriel and his family get itchy feet at Manchester United, but there is absolutely no rush for Dowman at this stage of his career.
Arteta clearly values his talent and he’s getting far more senior opportunities than anyone his age usually would. Jack Wilshere, once an Arsenal prodigy himself and the club’s Under-18s manager when Dowman debuted in that age group, recently gave an insight into his potential.
“Don’t get into a duel, take one or two touches, move it around,” Wilshere, during a guest appearance on Stick to Football, revealed were his instructions to a then 13-year-old Dowman, facing players up to five years older. “He picked up the ball, dribbled round five players, squared it and we [scored]. I have never seen anything like it.
“He went on with us and developed a bit more, and physically his numbers were a joke … the metrics they use now—high-speed running, sprints, total distance—were Premier League level and he was 14. He can be what he wants. He’s got a good family around him as well.”
Wilshere said the next crucial step for Dowman is to “get into the team and stay in the team,” which may have to result in a compromise with regard to his position on the pitch.
“When he played with me, we played him in all the midfield positions and he can play all of them,” Wilshere explained. “It’s pretty normal for a young player to get into the [senior] team on the wing. He’ll probably have to play on the sides if he wants a run in the team.”
Overall, Wilshere agreed with the offering of podcast host Gary Neville that Dowman will ultimately thrive in a No. 10 role like current Gunners captain Martin Ødegaard. Displacing Bukayo Saka for any length of time on the right will be as tricky as ousting Ødegaard, although both players have a less than perfect injury history. The left flank, where Arsenal failed to land a superstar target during the summer, might be an avenue for a better run in the team.
“We haven’t seen much of Max on the left,” Arteta said on that subject. “We need to throw him in a new position at some point. I think he will have the capacity to adapt.”
Dowman has plenty of eyes looking out for him. Aside from guidance from Arteta, Ødegaard was another former teen prodigy, thrust into the limelight at 16 when he had all of Europe’s major clubs on his tail and opted to join Real Madrid. He’s seen how this this works from the inside.
“He’s unbelievable. The talent is so obvious, I think everyone can see it,” the Norwegian said of Dowman in a BBC Sport interview. “I don’t want to put too much pressure on him, but he’s a special, special player, and we’re going to take good care of him and help him.”
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