‘Took my breath away’ – Max Dowman given incredible Lionel Messi compliment as Arsenal wonderkid continues to shine

Arsenal have their own Lionel Messi type player on their books in Max Dowman.

That’s according to former Gunners winger Perry Groves, who raved about the 15-year-old rising star.

Dowman has massively caught the eye during pre-season so far, making his senior debut for the club against AC Milan.

Then against Premier League rivals Newcastle, he starred after coming off the bench, winning a penalty in a 3-2 victory.

Clips of his performances have gone viral and the hype around the teenager has reached a new level ahead of the new campaign.

But Groves has seen this breakout coming, admiring Dowman’s technique and admitting watching him play ‘took his breath away’.

“I heard about him coming through Hale End and through the age groups,” Groves said on talkSPORT on Wednesday.

“He was 13 playing with the U16s… I then saw him play live for the first time with the U18s against Man United in the FA Youth Cup.

“He was playing against players three years older than him, and after ten minutes, he took my breath away.

“I had never seen a player that good… he was brought down for a penalty and he picked it up, he has this natural balance, he’s left-footed so he looks very graceful, he’s got the owl’s head so he’s always on the turn.

“He’s got this technique that you can’t really coach, where he’s stop-start, stop-start, so when you’re taking someone on and you think you’ve gone past them, but he’ll stop and start, and end up scrambling the opposition’s brain.

“We saw that now in the Newcastle game, with Joelinton not getting anywhere near him and bringing him down.

“So, he is a scary talent and he’ll be well-nurtured at Arsenal because they’ve got a good reputation of bringing younger players through, like Bukayo Saka, Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly.”

Groves added that Dowman’s silky, left-footed play makes him a similar type of player to the legendary Messi.

He also tipped the Arsenal academy product for the top, unless two things manage to get in this way to stop him.

“Style-wise, he’s a lot like Lionel Messi,” Groves stated. “Only because he’s left-footed, the same sort of build, got the balance… I’m not saying he’s going to be as good as Messi because, of course, he’s one of the greatest players of all time.”

He added: “Dowman has a good background to him, the only reason he won’t make the level that he can with his talent, is if he’s unlucky with his injuries or his attitude isn’t right.

“And from all the reports I’ve heard, he’s a very well-balanced, level-headed man off the pitch, so as long as he stays like that, then the world’s his lobster.”

Build him like Bellingham

The former Arsenal forward also discussed how Dowman should be best progressed forward in his career at the club.

And he called for the Gunners to look at Birmingham City’s treatment of Jude Bellingham as he was breaking into the first team at just 16 years old, with that eventually leading him to Real Madrid.

“He’s too good at the moment for a loan,” Groves continued.

“The only reason that he wasn’t in the Arsenal squad at the end of last season was because of the Premier League rules with 15-year-olds not playing in the side.

“You have to nurture him and I’ll go back to Jude Bellingham, obviously a generational talent, he did fantastically and Borussia Dortmund and now at Real Madrid.

“At Birmingham, he was handled brilliantly because they played him in the Championship, where it’s muck and nettles and you get smashed everywhere.

“They played him left-wing-ish, staying out of the main maelstrom where that’s all going on and he could learn his trade because they wanted him to develop physically before they played him more central.

“So, I think that Max Dowman will end up playing in the wider areas, but as his career progresses, and if he goes on that trajectory, he’ll end up being in that inside left or a number 10.”

Arteta’s assessment

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has been blown away by Dowman’s recent performances during pre-season, along with everyone else.

Speaking after he stunned in a substitute appearance against Newcastle, Arteta said: “It is special.

“Obviously what he’s done today against this team in the time that he had on the pitch, it’s something certainly not common to witness for a 15-year-old.

“So, we are extremely happy to have him.

“I think, again, the environment that is around him, his family, the people at the club, the academy as well.

“Super helpful because they put him into this position so early in his journey, having a real chance and a real presence when he plays for the first team.”