HALE END’S LATEST ‘CHAMPION MENTALITY’ PRODUCT
Over the last five years, Arsenal’s track record of promoting youngsters through has been particularly impressive. Bukayo Saka is now a household name after emerging alongside Emile Smith Rowe and Eddie Nketiah, who generated £60m last summer for Arsenal in the transfer window.
They were then replaced by the double-act of Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly, who also came into the first team as a double act last season.
Now it looks like Dowman is part of a new generation – with fellow 15-year-old Marli Salmon and 17-year-old striker Andre Harriman-Annous part of Arsenal’s pre-season tour of Asia.
As part of the criteria to spot which academy gems are capable of making it into the first team, one phrase seems to come out more than most: champion mentality.
It is the term former Arsenal scout Brian Stapleton used most to describe Saka’s rise through the ranks.
And Dowman? “He has champion mentality in bucket loads,” says Williams.
“It’s not just about wanting to win on the pitch. It’s about: ‘I want the next challenge. When is this next challenge coming?’ And Max always wanted a challenge, no matter what.
“Whenever you say: ‘Okay Max, this is what we’re going to do today, or maybe you’d play here today, or what do you think about actually training two age groups up?’ He would say: ‘Yeah, sure.’
“He’d never blink an eyelid. He was always ready to go and that was something that was very clear and was consistent throughout.”
Another criteria Arsenal use is whether they are an effective team player. Again, it is another box Dowman ticks.
“He was a brilliant team-mate,” Williams recalls. “I always look at when things are going wrong in development football – when things aren’t coming off for players and they’re maybe frustrated, losing, all that type of stuff.
“I’d look at Max’s reaction, he would always be encouraging his team-mates. You’d never see him dig out a player in a very rash way or complain at players.
“I’m sure if you asked anyone who’s trained and played with him through the academy, they’d probably echo the same sentiments.”
It is that humility that draws more comparisons with Saka, who is often regarded as a brilliant and ruthless player on the pitch – but equally a polite and well-mannered individual away from the action.
Williams recalls: “When I left Arsenal, Max was one of the few players who personally said to me: ‘Thank you for everything you’ve done for me, how you’ve helped me, what I’ve learned from you and I wish you all the best.’
“I always remember this – and these behaviours are recognised by coaches in players.
“He was just a very measured young man, definitely mature beyond his years, even when you were talking with him one-on-one.
“Whenever you’re talking to him, he’d look into your eyes and he’d really want to understand. What is it that you want me to know, what is it you want me to do, how are you going to help me, how is this going to help my development?”
