Arsenal repeat Ethan Nwaneri decision after gifting wonderkid to Ruben Amorim

have fast-tracked 14-year-old attacking midfielder Max Dowman into their under-21s side after losing Chido-Obi Martin to in the summer. Dowman was handed his debut for the side during the closing stages of their 1-1 draw with at the weekend as he came off the bench for the final six minutes.

Dowman appears to be following in the footsteps of Ethan Nwaneri, who also played for the club’s under-21s team well ahead of his time.

The 17-year-old attacker has gone on to feature 13 times for the Gunners first-team and has bagged four goals for ’s side.

have been careful in their management of young players as they have attempted to steer them along their football journey at an appropriate pace.

But it may have cost them dearly with 17-year-old Martin, with the Danish striker choosing to leave the club after reportedly .

Martin may be the one missing out, however, as he is yet to appear for the United under-21s. But if he can force his way into ’s plans over the next few years, he may feel vindicated for his decision in the end.

Dowman in UEFA Youth League history in September when he scored in a clash against Atalanta.

He also hit the headlines when he bagged four assists during the under-18s’ 5-2 victory over in March.

Following his endeavours against the Craven Cottage outfit, former academy manager Jack Wilshere explained: “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.

“Debut opportunities aren’t handed out lightly, and Max has demonstrated over the past few months that he deserves this chance. He handled the moment admirably.”

And last month, youth coach : “He plays in the style of Kaka. He can write his name. One day he will play for the national team and in the .”