Thomas Tuchel feels ‘parental responsibility’ for Max Dowman and offers Myles Lewis-Skelly example | OneFootball

Thomas Tuchel says that he feels “parental responsibility” towards Max Dowman as he feels the “crazy hype” around the 16-year-old does not help anyone.

The England manager had earlier admitted he would have to consider the Arsenal forward at his squad announcement, and reiterated he would not rule anything out for a player he agreed is a “game changer”, but did offer a more nuanced discussion on the risk of calling up a teenager who hasn’t yet sat his GCSEs.

Asked whether he feels uncomfortable talking about Dowman for that reason, Tuchel said: “A little bit because I feel almost parental responsibility So we have to be careful and responsible.

“I know that it’s difficult because he puts himself up there with all this quality. I hear he has the best surroundings around him and the best support system around him. He is in a good club where teamwork is rule number-one. So these are all good signs. But I would prefer not to talk too much about him because I feel it just doesn’t help.”

Dowman became the youngest ever Premier League goalscorer with his first for Arsenal as he changed their 2-0 win over Everton last week, and Tuchel likened that immediate impact to Myles Lewis-Skelly. The England manager appeared to keep the door open there, too, despite acknowledging the full-back has entered the more “difficult time” that young players often do after an initial burst.

“It was a bit the same discussion with Myles Lewis-Skelly who was flying at Arsenal. I remember watching them at the Bernabeu and thinking: ‘How is this possible?’ ‘How experienced can you play with no experience at all?’ And now he’s entering that difficult time and we had the discussion with him, if we call him up. And straight away he scored for us.”

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Tuchel said that young players can often have a ‘difficult time’ after an initial burst (Getty Images)

While there would be the obvious issue of a mere 16-year-old having to travel away for six weeks, Tuchel acknowledged that he can’t rule anyone out due to age. The precedent of Lamine Yamal being selected for Spain at Euro 2024 when also 16 was put to the manager, who had spoke before about how it is becoming a younger game.

“It is, it is, but there's also the risk to compare it to Lamine Yamal, to compare it to, I don't know, [Leo] Messi and so on, and the age when they have made their way into it. I'm not aware of it but has Lamine Yamal played more minutes for his club before he played for his country? I would say so, so, yeah... but this is exactly the danger and the risk of all of that, it becomes a crazy hype that does in the end not help.

“It's very young, yeah, and it's very young, and there are arguments that it's too young but why open all these arguments now. Let him fight for his minutes. At the moment he's not a regular starter, you could argue you should be maybe a starter at your club to be considered...

“Why wouldn't I keep the door open. I keep the door open for anyone with any age. Why wouldn't I take the last decision... I learned this as a coach, you take the last decision...

“Of course it's impressive what he's doing. It's impressive the feedback I get from players and people who know him, and we have a look at it and we take the last decision when we build the squad in May.”

The feeling is that Dowman will ultimately be called up for England’s Under-19s for the summer, but there is an acceptance that his form could change that.

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Max Dowman could instead remain with England Under-19s (The FA via Getty Images)

Tuchel, meanwhile, did call up Harry Maguire for the first time during his tenure, as he said he wanted to see how the Manchester United centre-half adapts to a different system.

“He's just played super-solid football, in a bit of a slightly different approach than we play. So it will be very interesting how fast he can also adapt to a different style of defending, to a different style of defensive set-up. And then he just plays very, very solid football on a high level, in a very successful team at the moment. And he has a super-strength in defending the box and attacking in the box. So with set-pieces and crosses.

“I just want to get to know him, use the momentum, see how he can adapt to our style of defending. And then see him within the group to make a decision in May, if we take him to the World Cup because, like I said, in addition to that he has a super-strength in defending and attacking with his head.”

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Harry Maguire and Kobbie Mainoo have been named in Thomas Tuchel's England squad for the first time (Getty Images)

It was similar with the recalled John Stones, who Tuchel said can turn his lack of minutes “into something positive that he comes quite fresh and with a hunger to play football”.

The England manager also had praise for the returned Kobbie Mainoo, especially as regards the midfielder’s patience.

“He’s part of a huge turnaround of results and energy in the Man United team, I think he's started all matches under Michael Carrick, everyone at the FA, guys who played with him at tournaments are full of praise, so it's time to get to know him. I think personally where he is still in a phase where he didn't play so long a time, he didn't play football, I think the real strength is about to come.

“I think it’s just like having six weeks pre-season for him and now it’s paying off. He had to be persistent, he had to be resilient and he was and now it’s the moment to get to know him and give him the chance to fight for the number-eight position.”