Wayne Rooney Shares Son Kai’s Thoughts on Max Dowman After Man Utd Youngster Faced Arsenal Prodigy, 15
WAYNE ROONEY has shared insights from his son Kai about Max Dowman after they faced off at the youth level.
Dowman, at just 15, made his debut this Saturday, coming off the bench during Arsenal’s 5-0 victory over Leeds and earning a penalty for his team late in the match.
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Kai has participated in first-team training since the age of 14 and shone during Arsenal’s pre-season tour in Asia.
Wayne Rooney’s son, Kai, who is also 15, plays in Manchester United’s academy and has encountered Dowman in youth matches.
On his podcast, The Wayne Rooney Show, he recounted: “We were watching the Arsenal game when Dowman came on, and since Kai has played against him, I asked, ‘Is he your age?“
“He responded, ‘Yeah.’
“Kai, being two months older, noted, ‘You can clearly see he’s a top player.’
“For any young athlete, the key is to work hard and put in the effort; you never know.
“One moment you could be playing under-15s; the next, you might find yourself in under-18s or even the Premier League.”
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Rooney described the ‘surreal’ feeling of making his own debut for Everton at just 16 years old.
“It’s surreal; it’s oddly strange.
“One moment, you’re with the youth team; the next, you’re in the first-team dressing room, mingling with your heroes and training alongside them.”
“It’s crucial to adapt quickly as it can be overwhelming, but Dowman seems grounded, and we hope he can manage what’s coming his way soon.”
Arsenal ratings vs Leeds
ARSENAL dominated newly-promoted Leeds 5-0, with new signing Eberechi Eze observing from the stands at The Emirates.
A flurry of goals ensured a smooth victory in their opening home match of the season, featuring a debut goal from Swedish striker Viktor Gyokeres.
Leeds, although valiant, managed to hold off the Premier League runners-up for the first 30 minutes, nearly scoring through Pascal Struijk’s powerful header, which was saved by David Raya.
However, Jurrien Timber’s header from a Declan Rice corner opened the scoring in the 34th minute.
Bukayo Saka, the starlet, doubled the lead just before halftime with a powerful shot into the net following a pass from Timber.
No respite came for the visitors, as Gyokeres skillfully maneuvered past a defender and deceived the goalkeeper to extend the lead to three.
Timber notched another goal in the 54th minute, toe-poking a scrappy ball in the chaos following another corner.
Finally, 15-year-old Max Dowman demonstrated Arsenal’s promising future by coming on and winning a penalty late in the game, which Gyokeres converted.
Here’s how SunSport’s Tom Barclay rated the Gunners’ players