14yo set to play for Arsenal in UEFA Youth League opener

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Daily Cannon

·19 septembre 2024

14yo set to play for Arsenal in UEFA Youth League opener

Arsenal 14-year-old Max Dowman is set to play for the u19s in the Gunners’ opening UEFA Youth League clash on Thursday afternoon.

Max Dowman in training with the Arsenal first team (Photo via Dowman on Instagram)

Arsenal will kick off their UEFA Youth League campaign away to the Atalanta u19s on Thursday afternoon, with the youth schedule mirroring the first six senior-team fixtures from the Champions League League Phase.

Vidéos OneFootball

Jeorge Bird reports for Arsenal Youth that Arsenal’s Max Dowman is set to start the opening fixture, despite being just 14 years old. He would become Arsenal’s youngest ever player in the competition.

Max Dowman plays for the Arsenal academy (Photo via Dowman on Instagram)

Dowman has consistently played above his age group in 2024, representing the Arsenal u18s nine times this year and impressing with the England u17s over the international break.

He has two assists and a goal in six appearances for club and country this season.

But this will be a new kind of test for the youngster, playing in the u19s for the first time, against European opponents.

Ayden Heaven in training with the Arsenal first team (Photo via Arsenal.com)

The other big team news is that Maldini Kacurri and Ayden Heaven are set to start the match. Both centre-backs were on the bench for the Arsenal first team against Tottenham Hotspur at the weekend, but they’re dropping back down to the u19s for this one.

Conversely, Ethan Nwaneri, Myles Lewis-Skelly, and Jack Porter are all absent from the u19 team as they’ve joined the first team for their Champions League clash.

The age restriction for the Youth League is “born on or after 1 January 2006”, but Arsenal have the option to name five “overage” players on their squad shortlist, and three in the final matchday squad.

These overage players still have to be born on or after 1 January 2005, so they’re only a little older. Arsenal have selected Kacurri, Michal Rosiak, and Ismeal Kabia for this one.