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Arsenal U18 Wilshere raises fast-tracking Dowman (14)

Arsenal Under-18s head coach Jack Wilshere has revealed that Max Dowman may soon be a first team player.

The 14-year-old has emerged as a sensational talent, assisting four goals in a game against Fulham's Under-18s.

Given his young age, and the fact that he has a lot of growing to do, fans are expecting him to become a top prospect.

Wilshere told club media: "There's always a concern when fielding such a young player in these matches, but if you're good enough you're old enough.

"He can be more consistent but he's only 14 and hasn't even started his GCSEs yet.

"We need to find a balance of letting him play and enjoy the game because of his age but also trying to get as much work into him as we can.

"Hopefully, we can fast-track him and when he goes over to the first team he'll be more ready.

"I really enjoyed the performance. We had a blend of players spanning from under-14s to under-18s.

"It's always intriguing to see how they play together, how they fight together, and today, I felt we witnessed that in abundance.

"It's reassuring to know that if I field an under-14 who isn't a regular in our training sessions, I can trust that they grasp our playing style and tactics.

"Today, they demonstrated that understanding flawlessly, which is a testament to the diligent work of all our coaches."

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Ansser Sadiq

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