Arsenal name Max Dowman, 15, on bench for Premier League match | OneFootball

Arsenal have named 15-year-old academy star Max Dowman on their bench for a Premier League match for the first time.

Dowman was included among the substitutes ahead of Arsenal’s home match against Leeds United after rising through the club’s academy.

The attacking midfielder featured for Arsenal in pre-season and travelled with Mikel Arteta’s squad for their opening match at Manchester United.

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Dowman travelled to Old Trafford but was not in the squad (Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

He came off the bench to play in the pre-season matches against Milan and Newcastle United, catching the eye to be included in Arteta’s plans.

Arteta gave Ethan Nwaneri his first-team debut in the Premier League aged 15 years and 181 days in a match at Brentford in September 2022.

It made Nwaneri the youngest player in Premier League history, a record he would continue to hold even if Dowman features against Leeds.

The England Under-17 international turned 15 in December, and wasn’t allowed to be selected in Arsenal squads last season due to Premier League rules.

Dowman was born on New Year's Eve in 2009 in Chelmsford, Essex, and made his debut for Arsenal U18s in September 2023, aged just 13.

In September of last year, he made his debut for England U17s – scoring in a 5-0 win over Mexico – before becoming the youngest player ever to score in a Uefa Youth League game when he netted in Arsenal’s 4-1 loss to Atalanta.

He became the youngest ever Premier League 2 player at 14 years old in December 2024.

Several figures have been sure to temper expectations on the youngster, with Declan Rice pointing out that “you can be the best 15-year-old in the country, but it doesn't necessarily mean you are going to be at 18”.

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Max Dowman causing problems again (Getty)

"You need to be hungry, keep working and keep pushing. I speak to Max a lot and he has got such a good family around him,” added the England midfielder.

More recently, former Gunners left-back Ashley Cole also tried to ease the pressure on the youngster, saying that the level of expectation on him is unfair.

“You have to be a little bit more careful on how how you handle this younger generation of players,” said Cole. “You heap this pressure on these players and I don’t think it’s fair.”