‘Unbelievable’ Max Dowman has ‘right attitude’ to succeed in Arsenal first team under Mikel Arteta, says team-mate Mikel Merino

React to this story

While Arsenal have set themselves the immediate task of challenging for top honours this season, the future also looks bright for The Gunners if the talent of teenage star Max Dowman is anything to go by. Speaking to TNT Sports, Arsenal midfielder Mikel Merino has full confidence in the 15-year-old making the jump to the senior side under the tutelage of Mikel Arteta.

Merino on teen sensation Dowman: 'The things he has been doing are amazing'

Video credit: TNT Sports

As Arsenal gear up for the upcoming Premier League season, the emergence of Max Dowman during pre-season has caught the eye, with the 15-year-old’s cameos getting fans very excited.

The teenager has made fleeting appearances in friendly matches, but even with restricted minutes, he has impressed alongside and against players several years his senior.

The English academy star, who plays as an attacking midfielder, has drawn praise for his skill and dribbling ability, but also bravery, confidence and dynamism that belie his tender years.

Transfers

Madrid agree €140m Diomande deal and offer Vinicius Jr new contract - Paper Round

4 hours ago

His impact has even had certain pundits making bold comparisons, and having seen Dowman up close, Gunners midfielder Mikel Merino thinks the hype is justified.

"Yeah, he's good," the Spaniard told TNT Sports. "I mean, you can see at 15 the things he has been doing are amazing.

"It's not easy to see a 15-year-old doing all those things against grown men."

Merino believes that Arsenal is the perfect club to nurture Dowman, and points to the examples of other young talents from the club’s Hale End academy to make the breakthrough into the first team.

Following in the footsteps of Bukayo Saka, the likes of Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly have both made the transition to senior football in recent seasons, and Merino thinks Dowman is ready to tread the same path.

"The good thing is he has the right atmosphere around him," Merino said. "That's very important in this club. Not only him, but all the other players that are coming up to the first team are doing really good.

"That's not only thanks to his qualities or his talent, but also the atmosphere that we generate around the club, the way the guys from the academy prepare them, the way the first team also challenge them to get better."

'There are question marks' - Breakdown panel discuss Gyokeres' move to Arsenal

Video credit: TNT Sports

Merino also warned that patience needs to be exercised regarding the player’s development and pointed out that while the tools and talent are evident, there is still more to learn.

"Max is an unbelievable player for sure, but he's only 15," the Spaniard said. "So obviously he has many things to learn, many things to improve. And I think he has the right attitude to do it.

"He needs to want to learn, to want to have his ears open and listen to what the gaffer says, what the other players say, but obviously he's an unbelievable talent like many players in our academy. So, yeah, we'll help him for sure."

‘It seemed like a joke’ - Merino on striker role

Amid a crippling injury crisis last season, Arsenal were left with few options in forward areas, forcing Gunners boss Mikel Arteta to be creative in his team setup.

This resulted in Merino, a midfielder by trade, being told he would be deployed as a centre forward - a suggestion he admits he laughed at when it was originally put to him by his manager.

However, the risk provided an instant reward as Merino scored twice after coming off the bench to give his side a 2-0 win away at Leicester City in the Premier League.

Highlights: Super-sub Merino bags late double as Arsenal cut lead at the top

Video credit: TNT Sports

Merino would go on to score a further four goals of his total nine strikes while playing up front, including the third in the unforgettable 3-0 first leg victory over Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League quarter-final.

Remarkably, Merino admits he’d never played in such an advanced role before and explained how it provided an interesting transition into English football following his move from Real Sociedad the previous summer.

He continued: "Last year was a huge year. It ended up very good on a personal level, playing many minutes, even at a strange position for me, which was a striker that I've never played before.

"I learned a lot, not only by playing and adapting to the league, but also these new tactics that Mikel wants to implement.

"They were all new to me, and now I think I have a better understanding of what's going on."

'Seemed like a joke' - Merino on unexpectedly being told to play up front for Arsenal

Video credit: TNT Sports

On his forays up front, Merino said it seemed like "a joke" before realising he was able to adapt to the position.

"Yeah, I mean, at the beginning it was kind of funny as well," he said. "I remember the first time I played against Leicester when I came on, I was even laughing because the gaffer told me I was playing up front and I was telling Dec [Rice] ‘I'm playing a striker’ and I was even laughing because it was something new to me.

"It seemed like a joke, but as the games went by, I started scoring goals. I felt comfortable there.

"I think because I like to understand what's going on on the pitch, not only what I have to do in my position, but also what other positions have to do to impact the well-being of the whole team.

"So, yeah, I understood what the striker role needed, and I tried to do it to my qualities.

‘Have to remember those moments’ - Merino motivated by ‘tough’ UCL semi-final defeat to PSG

Video credit: TNT Sports

"I know I'm not going to be sprinting and being faster than anyone else, but I know in the box I can be a threat, I know I can link up in the midfield. I used to use my tools, and it went really good."

On whether he might be called upon to fill in elsewhere on the pitch in future, Merino said he will play wherever his manager needs him, apart from one position.

"That's a question for the gaffer," he said. "But obviously I will be open to it. I like to play anywhere on the pitch, so if he wants me to play centre-back, full-back, whatever he needs.

"Maybe not goalkeeper, but I'll try my best."

Stream the Premier League, Serie A, Men’s and Women’s FA Cup, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League and more on TNT Sports and discovery+

Transfers