Max Dowman’s Journey From Billericay To Making History With Arsenal

There was ne'er a mobility astir which nine Max Dowman wanted to subordinate aft he was spotted playing up an property group for Billericay Town’s colts successful 2015. In nan Essex municipality champion known these days for being 1 of nan backdrops for nan celebrated BBC drama bid Gavin and Stacey, and wherever allegiances person often been divided betwixt Tottenham and West Ham, Dowman had caught nan oculus of scouts from London’s biggest academies astatine nan property of six.

“He had nan prime of clubs,” says Nick Hutt, nan chair of Billericay’s younker section, who saw a four-year-old Dowman play. “But nan full family are Arsenal supporters, truthful they chose Arsenal.”

Little much than a decade on, Mikel Arteta is reaping nan benefits. Dowman, having group galore records successful Arsenal’s Hale End academy, connected Wednesday became nan youngest subordinate to commencement a lucifer for nan club. At nan property of 15 years and 302 days he near nan Emirates entranced by a mesmerising capacity successful the Carabao Cup triumph complete Brighton.

“A mini smile, that’s what you get pinch him,” said a proud Arsenal head erstwhile asked aft really nan understated Dowman had reacted to news he would surpass his Under-18s teammate Jack Porter’s record, established past twelvemonth successful nan aforesaid competition.

The connection has been retired connected Dowman among Arsenal fans since he was invited to train pinch Arteta’s squad astatine nan commencement of past twelvemonth erstwhile he turned 14. A meticulous progression scheme has been mapped retired for nan subordinate immoderate insiders picture arsenic nan astir talented they person seen astatine his age.

Dowman became England Under-19s youngest subordinate past period and their youngest goalscorer conscionable complete a fortnight ago. The adjacent large landmark could beryllium breaking Youssoufa Moukoko’s grounds (16 years and 18 days) arsenic nan youngest subordinate successful Champions League history. “He needs to header pinch each that because it’s happening very, very fast,” Arteta said.

A young Max Dowman successful nan younker squad astatine Billericay Town. Photograph: Nick Hutt

According to Hutt, Dowman has been good prepared to woody pinch nan spotlight by his family. Dowman’s father, Rob, an avid Arsenal fan, was heavy progressive successful discussions that led to his boy signing danasiwa position past week amid liking from different clubs.

“Max has ever been benignant of aged for his age,” Hutt says. “Very mature, laid backmost and he worked incredibly difficult astatine his football. They’re a very grounded family. Both his mum, Caroline, and Rob, I’m judge they support Max grounded. They’re very humble, bully people, very benignant of community-focused. So I’m judge they’ve played an important domiciled successful getting him fresh for wherever he is now.”

Rob was coaching Dowman’s older relative Ethan’s squad astatine Billericay erstwhile he first brought Max to nan club’s Saturday greeting shot school. Hutt, asked whether a peculiar representation stands retired from Dowman’s 5 years successful nan colts section, says: “Oh, no, there’s excessively galore moments pinch him. You cognize what they’re for illustration astatine that age, erstwhile they’re six, seven, eight: they’re really bully but there’s nary guarantee they’re going to make it aliases do anything. But Max is conscionable … I deliberation each nan clip he was astatine Arsenal he’s been playing a mates of years supra his property group, truthful we knew he had a existent chance. But until they really make nan debut, arsenic he did against Leeds successful August, you’re ne'er really sure.”

The Dowmans person had a agelong relation pinch Billericay Town, who play successful nan Isthmian League Premier Division successful England’s seventh tier. Rob Dowman’s begetter was a goalkeeper for nan younker squad and Rob played for nan nine successful his puerility earlier joining nan coaching staff. Billericay concisely recovered themselves successful nan media spotlight erstwhile nan Essex businessman Glenn Tamplin signed respective erstwhile professionals, including Jamie O’Hara and Jermain Pennant, during his little spell astatine nan helm. Rob Dowman joined nan consortium that took complete erstwhile Tamplin departed successful 2019 and played successful awesome portion successful extending nan younker section, which has 55 teams, earlier leaving erstwhile he group up his ain security company.

“Rob was 1 of nan 4 of america who stepped successful to thief prevention nan club,” says Hutt. “Caroline would thief retired successful nan nine shop. Max’s 2 older siblings, Ethan and Imogen, worked down nan bar. It was a existent family affair. And Max would ever beryllium astir nan club. In fact, erstwhile Arsenal closed down for nan summer, Max would travel and train backmost pinch his aged squad astatine Billericay. He moreover trained pinch nan men’s first squad connected a fewer occasions.”

Arsenal snapped up 3 of Dowman’s Billericay teammates aft spotting him successful 2015, pinch 2 of them – Noah Clements and Marley Frohock – making advancement astatine Hale End, moreover if it has not been rather arsenic spectacular arsenic Dowman’s.

Max Dowman connected his debut against Leeds successful August. Photograph: Andrew Couldridge/Action Images/Reuters

“We’ve sewage boys astatine Man City, we’ve sewage boys astatine Man United, but they’re really conscionable starting to travel done now,” Hutt says. “Lots of boys. We’ve sewage a fewer inferior schoolboy internationals. Essex is simply a beautiful hotbed of football, truthful there’s tons of talent coming retired of here. Obviously, we’re 1 of nan bigger clubs successful nan area truthful that helps.”

Dowman attends Brentwood school, wherever Chelsea’s grounds goalscorer, Frank Lampard, erstwhile starred for nan first team, and is owed to complete his GCSEs adjacent year. He regularly returns to his aged stamping crushed astatine Billericay, wherever Hutt says he is simply a “hero for a batch of nan section children”.

“Max shows that a young boy from Billericay tin extremity up playing successful nan Premier League,” he says. “It gives group personification to look up to. And we’re really happy for him.”