"There was never a question about which club Max Dowman wanted to join after he was spotted playing up an age group for Billericay Town's colts in 2015. In the Essex town best known these days for being one of the backdrops for the popular BBC comedy series Gavin and Stacey, and where allegiances have often been split between Tottenham and West Ham, Dowman had caught the eye of scouts from London's biggest academies at the age of six."
"Little more than a decade on, Mikel Arteta is reaping the benefits. Dowman, having set numerous records in Arsenal's Hale End academy, on Wednesday became the youngest player to start a match for the club. At the age of 15 years and 302 days he left the Emirates entranced by a mesmerising performance in the Carabao Cup win over Brighton."
Max Dowman began playing for Billericay Town's colts and was spotted playing up an age group in 2015, attracting scouts from London's biggest academies. The Dowman family supports Arsenal and the player joined Arsenal's Hale End academy, where he set numerous records. At 15 years and 302 days he became Arsenal's youngest-ever starter after a mesmerising Carabao Cup performance in the win over Brighton. He trained with Mikel Arteta's first-team at 14 and has a mapped progression plan. He became England Under-19s' youngest player and youngest goalscorer, and remains on track to challenge Champions League youngest-player records.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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