Wayne Rooney is happy by the potential of Arsenal teenage sensation Max Dowman but doesn’t expect to see ‘much of him’ throughout the Premier League run-in.
Dowman, 16, became the Premier League’s youngest ever goalscorer when he netted Arsenal’s second in a 2-0 win over Everton on Saturday.
The Gunners, hoping to win their first league title since 2004, looked set to drop two points at home to Everton but late goals from Viktor Gyokeres and Dowman clinched one other crucial win.
With Manchester City failing to beat relegation-battlers West Ham later within the day, Arsenal now find themselves nine points clear at the highest of the Premier League with seven games remaining.
Arsenal fans are understandably excited by Dowman, who made his Premier League debut back in August, and are hoping to see more of the England U19 star because the Gunners chase an unprecedented quadruple.
In addition to leading the title race, Mikel Arteta’s side are within the knockout stages of the Champions League, next weekend’s Carabao Cup final and the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.
It has been suggested that Dowman could have a giant role to play for Arsenal in those 4 competitions but Rooney believes his game-time and development can be fastidiously managed.
Your football fix
Metro‘s Head of Sport James Goldman delivers punchy evaluation, transfer talk and his tackle the week’s biggest stories direct to your inbox every week.
Join here, it’s an open goal.
‘He has got his GCSEs and his education, I’m sure for him and his family, that’s necessary as well,’ the previous Manchester United and England captain said on The Wayne Rooney Show.
‘What a chance for him to be across the squad. He may very well be a Premier League winner when he’s still ending school off.
‘He’s got an aura and a belief about him and it was the identical against Everton. If it’s education first, I don’t think we’ll see much of him over the following few weeks.
‘He won’t be in as much as he’d probably like, but then you definately’ve got a few years ahead of you.’
Discussing Dowman’s ability, Rooney added: ‘He seems, from the games I’ve watched, to not let that pressure affect him.
‘He gets the ball, he holds on to it, he commits defenders, he goes to take them on, and so he definitely looks like he’s got a confidence about him.
‘Mikel Arteta, among the senior players within the Arsenal squad, is not going to let him get ahead of himself. But I believe you’ve got to enjoy it as well.
‘Sometimes people think that having fun with success is boastful and I just think they do it within the [USA]. They enjoy it they usually rejoice it.
‘So after we’ve got a young lad like that coming through as a 16-year-old, he’s clearly got quite a lot of ability and you only hope he can go and fulfil that potential.
‘Let him enjoy it and go and express himself.’
£64m striker Gyokeres was amongst those to heap praise on Dowman after his match-winning contribution against Everton.
‘If you see him play, you don’t think that he’s 16,’ Gyokeres said. ‘You don’t give it some thought when he has the ball with the composure and the arrogance he plays with.
‘It’s incredible – to see him rating that goal was amazing. He’s been developing.
‘He got an injury and was out for some time so I didn’t see him for a couple of months, but now he’s back and he’s playing still with the arrogance that he did before.
‘He makes quite a lot of right decisions when he comes on the pitch. He’s an incredible and superb player.’
Arsenal put their Premier League title charge on pause this week as attentions turn to the Champions League and a second-leg last-16 clash against Bayer Leverkusen.
Arteta’s side weren’t at their best in the primary leg in Germany but Kai Havertz’s late penalty earned the Premier League leaders a 1-1 draw against his former side.
For more stories like this, check our sport page.
Follow Metro Sport for the most recent news on
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
MORE: Gary Neville predicts £50m star will leave Man Utd with Casemiro this summer
MORE: Peter Schmeichel makes daring Man Utd prediction after Aston Villa win
MORE: Bukayo Saka worry raised by Liverpool legend after Arsenal’s win over Everton