REMEMBER THE NAME ... MAX DOWMAN

15-year-old prodigy set to follow in Rooney's footsteps

- JOHN CROSS Chief Football Writer X@johncrossmirror

IT was an iconic piece of commentary to celebrate a superstar in the making. “Remember the name – Wayne Rooney!” screamed TV legend Clive Tyldesley after the former Everton whizz-kid scored a wonder goal on October 19, 2002, five days before his 17th birthday.

We may soon have a new name on our lips. Arsenal teenager Max Dowman does not turn 16 until December 31 and is set to write his own name into the record books in this Premier League season.

The Essex lad has been training with the first team for nearly two years, Declan Rice described him as “the best 15-year-old in the country”, and an Arsenal academy coach, Gustavo Oliveira, likened him to Brazil legend Kaka (far right).

Dowman starred in the club's preseason tour of Asia, is still at school and has to get special permission to join training. He got time off from lessons to team up with the senior stars on the mid-season break in Dubai last February.

Dowman played for England's Under-17s in the Euros this summer and became the competition's youngest-ever scorer.