HALE END’S LATEST ‘CHAMPION MENTALITY’ PRODUCT
During the last 5 years, Arsenal’s observe document of selling children by means 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 season for Arsenal within the switch window.
They have been then changed by the double-act of Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly, who additionally got here into the primary workforce as a double act final season.
Now it appears 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 workforce, one phrase appears to come back out greater than most: champion mentality.
It’s the time period former Arsenal scout Brian Stapleton used most to explain Saka’s rise by means of the ranks.
And Dowman? “He has champion mentality in bucket hundreds,” says Williams.
“It is not nearly eager to win on the pitch. It’s about: ‘I would like the subsequent problem. When is that this subsequent problem coming?’ And Max all the time wished a problem, it doesn’t matter what.
“Everytime you say: ‘Okay Max, that is what we’ll do in the present day, or possibly you’d play right here in the present day, or what do you consider really coaching two age teams up?’ He would say: ‘Yeah, positive.’
“He’d by no means blink an eyelid. He was all the time able to go and that was one thing that was very clear and was constant all through.”
One other standards Arsenal use is whether or not they’re an efficient workforce participant. Once more, it’s one other field Dowman ticks.
“He was a superb team-mate,” Williams recollects. “I all the time have a look at when issues are going mistaken in growth soccer – when issues aren’t coming off for gamers and so they’re possibly pissed off, shedding, all that kind of stuff.
“I’d have a look at Max’s response, he would all the time be encouraging his team-mates. You’d by no means see him dig out a participant in a really rash approach or complain at gamers.
“I am positive for those who requested anybody who’s educated and performed with him by means of the academy, they’d most likely echo the identical sentiments.”
It’s that humility that pulls extra comparisons with Saka, who is commonly thought to be a superb and ruthless participant on the pitch – however equally a well mannered and well-mannered particular person away from the motion.
Williams recollects: “After I left Arsenal, Max was one of many few gamers who personally mentioned to me: ‘Thanks for every thing you’ve got carried out for me, how you’ve got helped me, what I’ve discovered from you and I want you all the very best.’
“I all the time bear in mind this – and these behaviours are recognised by coaches in gamers.
“He was only a very measured younger man, positively mature past his years, even whenever you have been speaking with him one-on-one.
“Everytime you’re speaking to him, he’d look into your eyes and he’d actually need to perceive. What’s it that you really want me to know, what’s it you need me to do, how are you going to assist me, how is that this going to assist my growth?”
