Max Dowman was hailed as a ‘miracle player’ by Slavia Prague after he made Champions League history with Arsenal on Tuesday night.
Mikel Arteta’s side maintained their perfect begin to their Champions League campaign with a 3-0 victory in Prague as Bukayo Saka scored a penalty before Mikel Merino netted twice within the second half.
Dowman, meanwhile, became the youngest player in Champions League history after he was brought on as a second-half substitute by Arteta.
At 15 years and 308 days old, Dowman has broken the record previously held by Youssoufa Moukoko, who was 16 years and 18 days when he made his Champions League debut for Borussia Dortmund in December 2020.
‘I do know which player it was, but I had no idea he was fifteen years old,’ Slavia captain Lukas Provod said with a smile after his side’s defeat to Arsenal.
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‘And hats off to him for making it here in Eden – the youngest player within the Champions League in history. I can be watching him and I consider he’ll only grow.’
Slavia defender David Zima added: ‘The difference is in how the players are approached. In fact, there are numerous more footballers in England, it’s an even bigger country and every so often a miracle player is born.
‘There are some physical flaws but I looked completely different at fifteen. This is definitely a grown-up player while you see him on the pitch.’
Meanwhile, Slavia head coach, Jindrich Trpisovsky, insisted that Dowman didn’t look misplaced against his players.
When asked if was ‘extreme’ to see a 15-year-old play in a senior Champions League game, Trpisovsky replied: ‘It definitely is but should you see him on the sphere, you wouldn’t say that.
‘He had resilience, for instance in a duel at the road, in fact the substitute player is all the time brisker and has more strength, but he withstood big things. His technique is great.
‘At fifteen years old, he’s an incredible extreme at this level. For Arsenal, one other great player, who can be produced from their very own incubator to the highest level. Which is the toughest thing in an enormous club.’
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