Arsenal youngster Dowman being monitored by England U21s boss, Gunners goalkeeper set for opportunity | OneFootball

Lee Carsley says there is a possibility that Arsenal youngster Max Dowman’s England development could be fast tracked given his talent.

Dowman, 15, has played five times for the Arsenal first team this season and is currently with the England Under-19s squad, but Under-21 boss Carsley says he is closely following the youngster’s progress.

“I think, obviously, the 19s are playing in qualifiers this camp, so it’s important that Max gets that experience with them,” Carsley said.

“He’s a player that we’re monitoring. I think sometimes that talent, we have to accelerate it so quickly because of the challenge that they’re getting at their clubs. 

“I think it’s important that we keep bearing in mind how young Max is and that we’re fully aware of him and get all of the feedback from the camps that he plays on. 

“There’s definitely time and he’ll definitely get his chance within the 21s. We’re very lucky that we’ve got some really outstanding players in all of them positions across the front, so the timing has got to be right when we bring him up.”

Dowman’s Arsenal team-mate, Tommy Setford, meanwhile, is in line for an Under-21 chance after being called up to the squad for the games against Ireland and Slovakia.

The Gunners goalkeeper has impressed for the Under-20s and Carsley says he is excited by the 19-year-old’s potential.

“I think he’s very impressive,” Carsley said.

“Obviously, we’ve monitored him and watched him for a while. The fact that he’s got that chance now to come up with the 21s, I think he fully deserves that in terms of the feedback that we get from Arsenal and the fact that he’s so highly thought of within our pathway. 

“I expect him to be an important part of the future and to compete for that number one spot. 

“We’re very lucky with the goalkeepers that we’ve got. We’ve got three or four that are more than capable of playing. 

“It’s important that the bigger picture is trying to get him through to the senior team. Hopefully, he can keep progressing as he is.”

Carsley also says there will be discussions with England senior boss Thomas Tuchel over Myles Lewis-Skelly’s deveopment.

The Arsenal defender has been part of the senior squad but was left out of Tuchel’s latest selection.

“I think it’s a situation that we’ll monitor,” he said. 

“I think with this camp at the minute, we’ve got players that I’ve been monitoring week in, week out. Myles wasn’t one of them because obviously he was playing and training with the seniors and he was definitely in their sights. 

“I think it’s something that we assess in March. Obviously, we’d love to have Myles with us, so I’ll communicate with Thomas (Tuchel) and we’ll definitely come up with a plan for him.”