HALE END’S LATEST ‘CHAMPION MENTALITY’ PRODUCT
During the last 5 years, Arsenal’s monitor document of selling children by way of has been significantly spectacular. Bukayo Saka is now a family title after rising alongside Emile Smith Rowe and Eddie Nketiah, who generated £60m final summer time for Arsenal within the switch window.
They had been then changed by the double-act of Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly, who additionally got here into the primary group as a double act final season.
Now it seems to be like Dowman is a part of a brand new era – with fellow 15-year-old Marli Salmon and 17-year-old striker Andre Harriman-Annous a part of Arsenal’s pre-season tour of Asia.
As a part of the factors to identify which academy gems are able to making it into the primary group, one phrase appears to return out greater than most: champion mentality.
It’s the time period former Arsenal scout Brian Stapleton used most to explain Saka’s rise by way of the ranks.
And Dowman? “He has champion mentality in bucket loads,” says Williams.
“It’s not just about wanting to win on the pitch. It’s about: ‘I want the next challenge. When is this next challenge coming?’ And Max always wanted a challenge, no matter what.
“Whenever you say: ‘Okay Max, this is what we’re going to do today, or maybe you’d play here today, or what do you think about actually training two age groups up?’ He would say: ‘Yeah, sure.’
“He’d never blink an eyelid. He was always ready to go and that was something that was very clear and was consistent throughout.”
One other standards Arsenal use is whether or not they’re an efficient group participant. Once more, it’s one other field Dowman ticks.
“He was a brilliant team-mate,” Williams remembers. “I always look at when things are going wrong in development football – when things aren’t coming off for players and they’re maybe frustrated, losing, all that type of stuff.
“I’d look at Max’s reaction, he would always be encouraging his team-mates. You’d never see him dig out a player in a very rash way or complain at players.
“I’m sure if you asked anyone who’s trained and played with him through the academy, they’d probably echo the same sentiments.”
It’s that humility that pulls extra comparisons with Saka, who is usually considered a superb and ruthless participant on the pitch – however equally a well mannered and well-mannered particular person away from the motion.
Williams remembers: “When I left Arsenal, Max was one of the few players who personally said to me: ‘Thank you for everything you’ve done for me, how you’ve helped me, what I’ve learned from you and I wish you all the best.’
“I always remember this – and these behaviours are recognised by coaches in players.
“He was just a very measured young man, definitely mature beyond his years, even when you were talking with him one-on-one.
“Whenever you’re talking to him, he’d look into your eyes and he’d really want to understand. What is it that you want me to know, what is it you want me to do, how are you going to help me, how is this going to help my development?”
