Max Dowman’s journey from Billericay to making history with Arsenal

There was never a question about which club Max Dowman wanted to join after he was spotted playing up an age group for Billericay Town’s colts in 2015. In the Essex town best known these days for being one of the backdrops for the popular BBC comedy series Gavin and Stacey, and where allegiances have often been split between Tottenham and West Ham, Dowman had caught the eye of scouts from London’s biggest academies at the age of six.

“He had the pick of clubs,” says Nick Hutt, the chair of Billericay’s youth section, who saw a four-year-old Dowman play. “But the whole family are Arsenal supporters, so they chose Arsenal.”

Little more than a decade on, Mikel Arteta is reaping the benefits. Dowman, having set numerous records in Arsenal’s Hale End academy, on Wednesday became the youngest player to start a match for the club. At the age of 15 years and 302 days he left the Emirates entranced by a mesmerising performance in the Carabao Cup win over Brighton.

“A tiny smile, that’s what you get with him,” said a proud Arsenal manager when asked after how the understated Dowman had reacted to news he would surpass his Under-18s teammate Jack Porter’s record, established last year in the same competition.

The word has been out on Dowman among Arsenal fans since he was invited to train with Arteta’s squad at the start of last year when he turned 14. A meticulous progression plan has been mapped out for the player some insiders describe as the most talented they have seen at his age.

Dowman became England Under-19s youngest player last month and their youngest goalscorer just over a fortnight ago. The next big landmark could be breaking Youssoufa Moukoko’s record (16 years and 18 days) as the youngest player in Champions League history. “He needs to cope with all that because it’s happening very, very fast,” Arteta said.

According to Hutt, Dowman has been well prepared to deal with the spotlight by his family. Dowman’s father, Rob, an avid Arsenal fan, was heavily involved in discussions that led to his son signing scholarship terms last week amid interest from other clubs.

“Max has always been kind of old for his age,” Hutt says. “Very mature, laid back and he worked incredibly hard at his football. They’re a very grounded family. Both his mum, Caroline, and Rob, I’m sure they keep Max grounded. They’re very humble, nice people, very kind of community-focused. So I’m sure they’ve played an important role in getting him ready for where he is now.”

Rob was coaching Dowman’s older brother Ethan’s team at Billericay when he first brought Max to the club’s Saturday morning soccer school. Hutt, asked whether a particular memory stands out from Dowman’s five years in the colts section, says: “Oh, no, there’s too many moments with him. You know what they’re like at that age, when they’re six, seven, eight: they’re really good but there’s no guarantee they’re going to make it or do anything. But Max is just … I think all the time he was at Arsenal he’s been playing a couple of years above his age group, so we knew he had a real chance. But until they actually make the debut, as he did against Leeds in August, you’re never really sure.”

The Dowmans have had a long association with Billericay Town, who play in the Isthmian League Premier Division in England’s seventh tier. Rob Dowman’s father was a goalkeeper for the youth team and Rob played for the club in his childhood before joining the coaching staff. Billericay briefly found themselves in the media spotlight when the Essex businessman Glenn Tamplin signed several former professionals, including Jamie O’Hara and Jermain Pennant, during his brief spell at the helm. Rob Dowman joined the consortium that took over when Tamplin departed in 2019 and played in major part in extending the youth section, which has 55 teams, before leaving when he set up his own insurance company.

“Rob was one of the four of us who stepped in to help save the club,” says Hutt. “Caroline would help out in the club shop. Max’s two older siblings, Ethan and Imogen, worked behind the bar. It was a real family affair. And Max would always be around the club. In fact, when Arsenal closed down for the summer, Max would come and train back with his old team at Billericay. He even trained with the men’s first team on a few occasions.”

Arsenal snapped up three of Dowman’s Billericay teammates after spotting him in 2015, with two of them – Noah Clements and Marley Frohock – making progress at Hale End, even if it has not been quite as spectacular as Dowman’s.

“We’ve got boys at Man City, we’ve got boys at Man United, but they’re really just starting to come through now,” Hutt says. “Lots of boys. We’ve got a few junior schoolboy internationals. Essex is a pretty hotbed of football, so there’s lots of talent coming out of here. Obviously, we’re one of the bigger clubs in the area so that helps.”

Dowman attends Brentwood school, where Chelsea’s record goalscorer, Frank Lampard, once starred for the first team, and is due to complete his GCSEs next year. He regularly returns to his old stamping ground at Billericay, where Hutt says he is a “hero for a lot of the local children”.

“Max shows that a young boy from Billericay can end up playing in the Premier League,” he says. “It gives people somebody to look up to. And we’re really happy for him.”

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