{"id":331768,"date":"2026-05-09T11:05:41","date_gmt":"2026-05-09T05:35:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/?p=331768"},"modified":"2026-05-09T11:05:42","modified_gmt":"2026-05-09T05:35:42","slug":"theo-walcott-urges-arsenal-star-to-reject-england-call-up-for-the-world-cup-football","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/2026\/05\/09\/theo-walcott-urges-arsenal-star-to-reject-england-call-up-for-the-world-cup-football\/","title":{"rendered":"Theo Walcott urges Arsenal star to reject England call-up for the World Cup | Football"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Max Dowman is the Premier League\u2019s youngest-ever goalscorer (AMA\/Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Theo Walcott \u2018hopes\u2019 Arsenal midfielder Max Dowman isn’t called up by Thomas Tuchel for England\u2019s World Cup campaign this summer.<\/p>\n

Dowman is widely thought to be among the best young prospects in English football and back in March, the 16-year-old became the Premier League\u2019s youngest-ever goalscorer with a superb solo effort in Arsenal\u2019s 2-0 win over Everton.<\/p>\n

Former Chelsea and England captain John Terry has likened Downman to Lionel Messi, while Tuchel has refused to rule out the prospect of including the uncapped midfielder in his World Cup squad.<\/p>\n

England will announce their preliminary squad for the tournament on Monday, with the ultimate 26-man squad to be confirmed by May 30.<\/p>\n

\u2018I feel he’s in the mean time competing and clearly a implausible talent and an excellent talent and at his age there can’t be a doubt about it,\u2019 Tuchel said of Dowman in March.<\/p>\n

\u2018Everyone who tells me about Max praises him and is filled with compliments about him. The truth in the mean time can be that he competes for minutes, he isn’t a daily starter for Arsenal.<\/p>\n

\u2018He\u2019s in a implausible environment, the perfect possible environment. In a competitive and stable club. In a club where teamwork is the primary rule. He\u2019s learning from the best possible, within the best possible environment.<\/p>\n

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Thomas Tuchel has refused to rule out the prospect of calling up Max Dowman for England (Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u2018With these young guys, after all we all know all these players. We see them as you do as well. In the mean time I feel he’s in a great place to fight for his minutes at Arsenal. We at all times have the prospect to call him, perhaps, up for the World Cup.\u2019<\/p>\n

Walcott was in an identical position in 2006 when he was called up by Sven-Goran Eriksson for England\u2019s World Cup campaign on the age of 17 and with no playing time within the Premier League.<\/p>\n

Former Arsenal forward Walcott insists he would advise Dowman to not rush his senior debut for England and believes Arsenal are doing the precise thing by \u2018protecting\u2019 the 16-year-old.<\/p>\n

\u2018I hope he doesn\u2019t go,\u2019 Walcott said in an interview with The Mirror<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Theo Walcott was a surprise inclusion in England\u2019s 2006 World Cup squad (Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u2018I don\u2019t mean it in a horrible way because if I could return in time, I might change things. I might say to myself, \u2018no, no, don\u2019t do it\u2019, but then try telling that to a 17-year-old.<\/p>\n

\u2018I do still see him and me in a different way as he\u2019s playing within the Premier League but he must grow at his own pace, especially on the emotional side because he\u2019s a young adult.<\/p>\n

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Should England take Dowman to the World Cup?<\/h3>\n