Dowman, born in 2009 in Chelmsford, is making waves in the Premier League. The midfielder played in two of the first three rounds of this season's Premier League. He won a penalty that Viktor Gyokeres converted to seal a 5-0 victory against Leeds, and played for about 10 minutes at the end of the match against Liverpool.

Max Dowman (right) takes a shot during Arsenal's 5-0 win against Leeds in the second round of the Premier League at Emirates Stadium, London, England on 23/8. Photo: AP

Max Dowman (right) takes a shot during Arsenal's 5-0 win against Leeds in the second round of the Premier League at Emirates Stadium, London, England on 23/8. Photo: AP

At 15 years and 235 days old, Dowman is the second youngest player to appear in the league, just behind teammate Ethan Nwaneri (15 years and 181 days old). The Arsenal duo, along with Leicester's Jeremy Monga (15 years and 271 days old), are among the rare players to have played in the Premier League before turning 16.

"Dowman has skills I've never seen in any player at this age. It makes me think seriously. Despite being so young, Dowman shows remarkable maturity and creativity," Tuchel said, not ruling out the possibility of him featuring in the England squad for the 2026 World Cup.

In addition to Dowman, Liverpool's 16-year-old prodigy, Rio Ngumoha, also caused a stir with a curled finish to seal a 3-2 win against Newcastle in the second round of the Premier League.

Rio Ngumoha celebrates the winning goal in Liverpool's 3-2 victory over Newcastle in the second round of the Premier League at St. James' Park, England on 25/8/2025. Photo: PA

Rio Ngumoha celebrates the winning goal in Liverpool's 3-2 victory over Newcastle in the second round of the Premier League at St. James' Park, England on 25/8/2025. Photo: PA

Tuchel praised the next generation of English football talent, but warned against the dangers of pushing them too soon. "We need to be careful, hopefully everyone acts like parents to protect them, so as not to exhaust them in this excitement," the German coach said. "Their current strength is simply playing football, living the dream without thinking too much. We need to keep that and avoid putting pressure on them when they face difficulties."

Tuchel cited the case of Arsenal's Myles Lewis-Skelly as an example. The defender, born in 2006, received his first call-up in 3/2025, and immediately scored in his England debut. Lewis-Skelly continued to be called up by Tuchel for this international break.

"We considered for a long time whether to accelerate his international career, whether it was too early," Tuchel said. "In the end we still did it because Myles is very good, mature and integrated well. But our responsibility is not to abandon him when he faces difficulties, such as when he plays less at Arsenal. It's a fine line, and now there are two even younger players."

England squad for the September 2025 FIFA Days:

Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford, James Trafford, Dean Henderson

Defenders: Reece James, Marc Guehi, John Stones, Dan Burn, Ezri Konsa, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Tino Livramento, Djed Spence

Midfielders: Elliot Anderson, Morgan Gibbs-White, Jordan Henderson, Adam Wharton, Morgan Rogers, Declan Rice

Forwards: Harry Kane, Eberechi Eze, Jarrod Bowen, Anthony Gordon, Noni Madueke, Marcus Rashford, Ollie Watkins

Compiled by Hong Duy