Mikel Arteta has spotted ‘very unusual’ trait in what Max Dowman is doing at Arsenal

Mikel Arteta has highlighted the "unusual" trait that makes Max Dowman so special.

The Arsenal manager, known for his eye for talent and faith in youth, has seen his trust pay off with various academy graduates now making their mark on the first team.

Myles Lewis-Skelly, 18, secured a regular spot in the starting line-up last season, while his agemate Ethan Nwaneri netted nine goals across all competitions. If pre-season is anything to go by, 15-year-old prodigy Dowman could be the next Hale End teenager to shine under Arteta's guidance this season.

Arteta was unveiled this week as the new global ambassador for American sportswear giant Under Armour. The role will see him share his insights into the sport, focusing on areas such as brand development, talent identification, leadership and nurturing the next generation of athletes through his involvement in Under Armour's Next Programme.

The Spaniard has been lucky to have a constant flow of talent emerge, thanks to the efforts of Arsenal academy manager and former team-mate Per Mertesacker. Despite his own managerial skills, Arteta admitted as much during the announcement of his new Under Armour role, shedding light on just how exceptional the aforementioned trio are.

He highlighted not only their attitude but their rare physical maturity to fit in seamlessly at the top level, when even some of the most promising academy talents require loan spells initially to establish themselves in less challenging settings.

Arteta said: "There are two very important ones [qualities] at this level. One is attitude; a special attitude and feeling confident about the opportunity that you’re going to be given.

“And then, the second is the physical part because without the physical part in this game, you have no chance and we’re talking about kids who haven’t had any loan periods.

“They haven’t been to the Championship or been to Holland, they’ve just been playing under 16s and under 18s and go straight to playing in the Premier League and Champions League and that’s a massive gap in every sense.

“But if you don’t have that personality, that emotional education and emotional control, and the physical part and if you can’t cope with that, you have no chance. Those two (Dowman and Lewis-Skelly), and Ethan [Nwaneri] as well, have had the ability to overcome that massive gap very quickly, which is very unusual.”

Nwaneri left his mark on English football in his debut Premier League appearance, becoming the competition's youngest ever player aged 15 back in 2022. The attacking midfielder then spent several seasons moving between the Under-18s and senior squad.

Despite only playing 1,378 minutes of football, he ended up as one of Arsenal's top scorers last season, scoring twice in the Champions League and once against Manchester City in the Premier League.

His childhood friend Lewis-Skelly started to play regularly from December onwards, confidently nailing down the starting left-back position. He put on memorable performances in the home victories against Tottenham and City before providing an assist in the quarter-final Champions League match against Real Madrid.

Dowman, who is yet to complete his GCSEs, had his first experience of training with the senior squad at just 14 years old. Despite Arteta's tendency to protect young players from the limelight, the Spaniard saw enough potential to include him in the winter trip to Dubai.

He was recently part of the pre-season training camp in Spain and gained widespread recognition for his performances during the team's tour of Asia, where he was one of the standout players.

Those connected with Arsenal will be well aware of the extraordinary talent Dowman possesses, having monitored his development through the youth system. Despite his tender age, the left-footed attacking midfielder has been accelerated into the first team set-up.

Statistics offer a glimpse into Dowman's immense potential. He was only 13 when he became the youngest player to play for Arsenal's Under-18s and was just 14 when he first played for the Under-21s, setting another record.

In September of the previous year, Dowman made history as the youngest player to ever score in the UEFA Youth League. He has also been a standout for England, playing and scoring for the Under-17s at just 14 years old.

During this summer's Under-17 European Championship, he was the tournament's youngest participant but started all three of England's matches, netting an impressive solo goal against the Czech Republic.

The FA Youth Cup quarter-final against Manchester United in February offered many Arsenal supporters their first glimpse of his talent. Playing at the Emirates Stadium for the Under-18s, Dowman was head and shoulders above the rest on the pitch.