Max Dowman only made his senior Arsenal debut in August but has already got his first taste of Champions League football for the Gunners
Arsenal youngster Max Dowman can still get a Champions League winner’s medal despite playing under an hour in the competition. The Gunners are just 90 minutes from glory after a narrow victory over Atletico Madrid in the semi-finals.
Dowman, 16, was an unused substitute for both legs against Atleti. He has only featured in three European games: the league-phase win at Slavia Prague and both legs of the quarter-final against Sporting CP, for a combined 59 minutes in the competition.
Thankfully for the teenager, there is no minimum number of minutes required to receive medals. As outlined in the Champions League’s official regulations, the winning team will receive 50 gold gongs to allocate as they wish.
This number has grown in recent years, but it has consistently been the case that it’s not just the starters and substitutes from the final who get a medal. The rules mean Arsenal can reward those who have contributed during the campaign, even if they don’t make it into the squad in Budapest.
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Dowman only made his senior debut for Arsenal in August, coming off the bench in a 5-0 victory over Leeds United. He has featured in all three domestic competitions in addition to the Champions League and scored his first senior goal in a Premier League win against Everton in March.
Mikel Arteta has sung the youngster’s praises throughout the season. He made Dowman the second-youngest Premier League player when he brought him on in that Leeds game and spoke of his pride when the England youth international committed his future to the club.
“What he’s done with us at the age of 15. Personally, I haven’t seen it before. Only with a guy who used to play in Barcelona, but maybe not even that,” Arteta said in January.
“He certainly has, not only that, he has a certain charisma as well and personality that he doesn’t get overwhelmed, whether it’s by the situation, or the stadium or the opposition, and that’s a huge quality to have.
“The fact that we have very good examples [of academy players in the first team] is very helpful. Then it’s down, not only the players as well, but the family as well because obviously they’re a crucial part of their education and their development and we are very responsible of that.
“He’s been great. He’s got a great family. The communication between us has been very, very productive over the years. Now I think they trust what we’re going to do with him and now it’s down to him and us to build an amazing career with him.”
Arsenal will learn on Wednesday whether they will face Bayern Munich or Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final in Budapest. If they win, Dowman won’t have to worry about making it onto the pitch if he wants a medal.
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