Arsenal 'struggling to meet demand for Max Dowman shirts' as meteoric rise continues

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Evening Standard

·20 March 2026

Arsenal 'struggling to meet demand for Max Dowman shirts' as meteoric rise continues

Gunners wonderkid in high demand after historic first Gunners goal

Arsenal have been “blown away” by demand for shirts with Max Dowman’s name on the back, after the 16-year-old became the Premier League’s youngest-ever goalscorer.

Dowman has drawn praise and comparisons to footballing legends throughout a record-breaking season during which he has also made his debuts in the FA Cup and Champions League, becoming the youngest player ever to feature in the latter competition having done so aged just 15.

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In the Carabao Cup in October, meanwhile, he became the youngest player to start a senior match for the Gunners.

All of that already sparked much excitement among the Arsenal fanbase about the club’s new wonderkid, but perhaps the most momentous milestone of the teenager’s maiden first-team campaign so far was his mazy solo goal to clinch a 2-0 win over Everton in stoppage time last weekend.

Max Dowman races away against Everton to score his first Premier League goal

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Many fans dashed to Arsenal’s ‘Armoury’ store at the Emirates straight after the final whistle on Saturday evening, only to find that Dowman’s name is not yet listed as an option on the shop’s wall of player names for personalising shirts.

The names of top players are typically prepared with pre-made lettering ready to be heat-pressed onto the back of shirts.

However, the surge in demand for a youngster who has impressed in his handful of senior appearances to date means shop staff have been forced to prepare batches of loose lettering to piece Dowman’s name together for personalisation on a daily basis.

Max Dowman (pictured) has enjoyed a rapid rise to stardom since signing for Arsenal U9s in 2017

Arsenal FC via Getty Images

“We’ve been blown away by the sudden demand for Max’s shirt but it’s great to see so many fans wanting his name on their shirt,” a club source told The Sun.

Dowman is expected to be named among the substitutes by Mikel Arteta for Arsenal’s Carabao Cup final against Manchester City on Sunday, though some have called for patience when it comes to the young prospect’s possible involvement during the Gunners’ push for a quadruple.