LONDON: Max Dowman, who became the youngest player to feature in the Champions League at the age of 15 this season, has signed a pre-contract agreement with Arsenal that will lead to him securing professional terms when he turns 17.
Arsenal announced the deal on Friday and manager Mikel Arteta appeared to draw comparisons with Lionel Messi when asked if he had seen a youngster with such talent and a strong mentality.
“What he’s done with us at the age of 15, me personally I haven’t seen it before,” Arteta said. “Only with a guy that used to play in Barcelona, but not even that.
“He (Dowman) has a certain charisma as well and personality as well. He doesn’t get overwhelmed, whether it’s by the situation, the stadium or the opponent. That’s a huge quality to have.”
Arteta was at Barcelona when Messi was coming through the ranks, though the Argentina great didn’t make his competitive debut for the Spanish team until he was 17.
Dowman was 15 years, 208 days when he came on as a substitute in Arsenal’s 3-0 win at Slavia Prague in November. No 15-year-old had previously played in Europe’s top club competition.
In August, he became the second-youngest player — behind Arsenal teammate Ethan Nwaneri — to feature in the Premier League.
England internationals Bukayo Saka and Myles Lewis-Skelly are other players to have come through the Arsenal academy in recent years.
“I’ve been at the club my whole life, so this really means a lot,” Dowman said. “There’s such a clear pathway here, players who have come through our academy, like Bukayo, Myles and Ethan, who all really inspire me.
“It’s amazing to have role models so close that have experienced the same thing that I have. I’m now so excited to continue to work hard with my development.”
Dowman, who still attends school, is a left-footed attacking midfielder who joined Arsenal at the age of 5 in May 2015 and made his debut for Arsenal’s under-18s at age 13. He was only 14 when he was asked by Arsenal Arteta to train with the senior team.
Arsenal prodigy Max Dowman earns Messi comparison after signing pre-contract agreement
https://arab.news/rbcec
Arsenal prodigy Max Dowman earns Messi comparison after signing pre-contract agreement
- “What he’s done with us at the age of 15, me personally I haven’t seen it before,” Arteta said
- “He (Dowman) has a certain charisma as well and personality as well”
Mancini’s Al-Sadd advance in Asian Champions League despite defeat
- Al-Sadd will take on table-toppers Al-Hilal over two legs in early March in the next round
- “Today was a very difficult game,” said Al-Sadd goal scorer Rafa Mujica
DOHA: Roberto Mancini’s Al-Sadd suffered a 4-1 thrashing at the hands of Saudi Pro League champions Al-Ittihad in the Asian Champions League Elite in Doha on Tuesday but the Qatari club still scraped through to the last 16 of the continental championship.
A 2-0 loss for Al-Sadd’s compatriots Al-Gharafa against Iranian outfit Tractor FC meant Mancini’s side clung on to eighth place in the western league phase standings to claim a spot in the knockout rounds.
Al-Sadd will take on table-toppers Al-Hilal over two legs in early March in the next round while Al-Ittihad, who finished fourth in the standings, face off against Al-Wahda from the United Arab Emirates.
Defending champions Al-Ahli, also from Saudi Arabia, will play Al-Duhail from Qatar with Tractor meeting UAE’s Shabab Al-Ahli.
“Today was a very difficult game,” said Al-Sadd goal scorer Rafa Mujica. “The first 20, 25 minutes were very bad for us. We conceded everything.
“But we only have to think about the next game. We are qualified. We will see in the next game.”
Mancini’s team needed to match or better the result recorded by Al-Gharafa but went two goals behind inside the opening 18 minutes when Houssem Aouar and Youssef En-Nesyri struck for the visitors.
A Pedro Miguel own goal in the 33rd minute compounded Al-Sadd’s problems although Mujica gave Al-Sadd a glimmer of hope seven minutes before the interval.
Stephan Keller restored Al-Ittihad’s three-goal cushion when he scored with a close range finish in the 63rd minute as the Saudi side notched up their second comfortable win in a row.
Al-Gharafa’s hopes were erased, however, when their Iranian visitors scored twice in the final 30 minutes to knock Pedro Martins’ team out of the competition.
Mehdi Hashemnejad netted after the Al-Gharafa defense failed to clear in the 61st minute and Amirhossein Hosseinzadeh’s deflected effort into the top corner put the result beyond doubt with nine minutes remaining.
