England boss on Arsenal's Max Dowman: 'It's inevitable'

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England Under-21 manager Lee Carsley says it is only a matter of time before Max Dowman is training with his squad — but the 16-year-old will not be fast-tracked there just yet.

The Arsenal forward has instead been called into the England Under-19s for this month's fixtures, with Carsley deliberately resisting the pull of an early promotion despite the growing noise around one of the most talked-about teenagers in the country.

Dowman's profile has risen sharply in recent weeks. He scored twice in Arsenal's 4-2 Carabao Cup win at Ipswich and came off the bench in Saturday's defeat at Brighton, taking his tally to 13 appearances in all competitions.

Carsley: 'An outstanding talent'

Speaking to BBC Sport, Carsley made clear that Dowman's talent is not in question — only the timing.

"He's definitely an outstanding talent. It's inevitable that he's going to be with the Under-21s because of his talent," said Carsley, who led England to European Under-21 titles in 2023 and 2025.

"But we have to make sure we do that at the right time, that he comes away with us and plays minutes and competes with the other players that are in his position."

Carsley pointed to a familiar Arsenal name as a reference point. "We had a similar issue a few years ago with Ethan Nwaneri. He was early and he made his debut and he's done really well but there's that tendency to push him on quickly," he said.

"We have to be patient and make sure that ultimately we want them to play for the senior team for a prolonged period so we have to make sure we get the time right with that."

Already on Tuchel's radar

Dowman became the Premier League's youngest goalscorer when he netted against Everton in March, and the debate over how quickly English football's brightest teenagers should be escalated is a well-worn one. Wayne Rooney bypassed the Under-21s entirely to make his senior debut at 17 in 2003, while Jude Bellingham and Kobbie Mainoo also went straight into the senior fold.

Carsley, though, cautioned against direct comparisons. "It's definitely not 'one size fits all'. I think some players are just ready for it — physically, mentally, ready to compete — and they're at the stage where they're just above that age group and we have to make sure that we get the time we want with that," he said.

The Under-21 boss also confirmed that Dowman's name comes up in his discussions with senior manager Thomas Tuchel. "Obviously me and Thomas speak regularly about squad selection and you know of what potentially you might need with the 21s, so Max is always in the conversation because of his talent," Carsley said.

"We're fortunate we've got some really good players in a lot of the forward positions, but he's definitely one we really rate."

Carsley's side host Kazakhstan at Molineux on Friday before facing Slovakia in Stoke on 2 October and travelling to Ireland on 6 October, with qualification for Euro 2027 on the line. Dowman, meanwhile, will continue his development with the Under-19s — and with an Arsenal side that has already handed him a platform few 16-year-olds ever get.