Lee Carsley says Arsenal teenager Max Dowman has a "fantastic future" with England, but the 16-year-old will stay with the Under-19s rather than be rushed into a higher age group after his rapid rise.
Lee Carsley has moved to ease the growing noise around Max Dowman by insisting England will not rush the Arsenal teenager’s development, despite his recent breakthrough at senior level. Dowman, who became the Premier League’s youngest ever goalscorer when he scored in Arsenal’s 2-0 win over Everton on 14 March, has been named in England’s Under-19 squad for this month’s Elite Round qualifiers rather than being pushed up to the Under-21s.
Carsley’s comments are the clearest indication yet of how England plan to manage one of the country’s most closely watched young players. Speaking after the latest youth squads were named, the Under-21 head coach said Dowman has a major future at international level but stressed that patience remains the priority.
“I think Max is going to have a fantastic future at international level,” Carsley told reporters. “It’s important that we don’t rush that. One thing he has got is time on his hands. He will play for the 19s, a really important part, hopefully they qualify for a Euros and potentially play in a 20s World Cup.”
Carsley also made clear that Dowman’s progress has not gone unnoticed inside the England set-up. “I’ve seen him play a lot in the Under-17s, as I have a lot of the other players. A highly talented player, he’s definitely going to get his chance at some points,” he said.
Carsley told Sky Sports that the key now is getting the “timing right” and ensuring Dowman gets minutes and game time at the appropriate level.
Dowman’s goal against Everton pushed him further into the spotlight, with the Premier League confirming he broke the competition’s long-standing age record by scoring at 16 years and 73 days. His impact in that game only added to the excitement around his development, but Carsley’s stance underlines that both club and country are still dealing with a player at the very start of his senior career.
Dowman will now head to Portugal with England’s Under-19s for qualifiers against Serbia on Wednesday 25 March, Poland on Saturday 28 March, and Portugal on Tuesday 31 March. England’s official squad announcement described those matches as part of a route to the European Championship finals in June, giving Dowman another significant step in his development without accelerating the process too quickly.
For Arsenal, Carsley’s verdict offers reassurance as well as praise: Dowman is firmly on England’s radar, but there is no intention to force the next stage before its time.