Reason Max Dowman isn't allowed in Arsenal dressing room after historic Everton goal

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Max Dowman became the youngest Premier League goalscorer by scoring for Arsenal against Everton, but there are Premier League regulations behind the scenes he continues having to abide by

Max Dowman may be a regular in the Arsenal first-team picture these days, but he still has to change away from the rest of his team-mates due to Premier League regulations.

The 16-year-old sealed the Gunners' 2-0 win over Everton on Saturday by taking the ball the length of the field a slot into an empty net as the Toffees fought to snatch a late point. The goal sparked wild scenes of celebration around the Emirates Stadium.

The moment also saw him write his name in Premier League history, becoming the youngest goalscorer in the competition.

The victory over Everton, plus Man City’s 1-1 draw with West Ham, meant Arsenal opened up a nine-point gap to their title rivals.

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While Dowman played a big part in the victory, his age meant that he had to change away from his team-mates before and after the game – even following his goal against Everton.

Premier League regulations state that anyone under the age of 18 has to change in separate changing rooms from the main group for both training sessions and matches.

While it doesn’t impact Dowman and Arsenal, regulations also mean that players under 18 are unable to wear betting sponsors on their shirts. With some examples of young players wearing sponsorless shirts for that reason.

Despite his tender years, Mikel Arteta turned to Dowman in the crucial final 15 minutes of the match against Everton, with the score still at 0-0 when he came on.

Speaking in his post-match press conference, the Arsenal boss explained why he made the decision. “Probably in my head I had a gut feeling,” he said. “Yesterday he was training in the last few days and I had a gut feeling that it was a moment for him.

“Probably because he doesn't seem to be faced by the occasion or the moment or the context or the opponent. He just plays so naturally.

“He makes decisions to make things happen and what he delivered was incredible.”

He added: “Some of the things that he does, he does it against these defenders that are some of the best in the world.

“So he can do it against anybody else and the doubt is always, yeah, but he's 16 and the crowd and the pressure and expectations but he doesn't seem to be fazing him very much about that and he had an incredible moment to all of us.”