Walcott ‘hopes’ Arsenal star ‘doesn’t go’ to World Cup – ‘I don’t mean it in a horrible way’ | OneFootball

Theo Walcott has advised Max Dowman not to go to the World Cup with England if he receives the call from Thomas Tuchel as “if I could go back in time, I would change things.”

Dowman has made 12 appearances for the Arsenal first team this season, breaking records in the process, to raise questions as to whether the teenager might just break into the Three Lions 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 in March.

“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.

“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.”

‘I would change things’

Walcott was called up for the World Cup in 2006 by Sven-Goran Eriksson when he was just 17 as a shock selection having not yet made a Premier League appearance.

And the former Arsenal star insists the Gunners are doing the right thing by “protecting” Dowman and advises the 16-year-old to turn down Tuchel if he offers him a place in the England squad.

“I hope he doesn’t go,” Walcott told Mirror.

“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.”