Manager Thomas Tuchel is expected to name his latest England squad on Friday morning, with speculation that the 16-year-old Arsenal sensation could be called up to manage Mikel Arteta.
Max Dowman has slotted himself into England’s first team (Image: Getty)
“We look at a player’s ability, not his age. He is ready to compete at the highest level. He is a very important person for the future. He is different.”
That’s what manager Thomas Tuchel should say when answering the first question about the latest England squad to be announced on Friday morning. However, this is actually what Spanish national team coach Luis de la Fuente, who would go on to win the Euros, said when he welcomed Lamine Yamal into the first team on September 1, 2023.
Yamal was 16 years and 50 days old when he received his call-up and had played 182 minutes of senior football for Barcelona. Max Dauman will have turned 16 years and 79 days old on the day Tuchel’s squad was announced and will have played 236 minutes in the top flight for Arsenal.
“He was a stalwart of our youth team. He is a footballer of extraordinary ability,” de la Fuente said of Yamal before handing him his first full cap in the Euro 2024 qualifying match in Georgia on September 8, 2023.
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Yamal played four times for Spain’s Under-16s, 10 times for the Under-17s and once for the Under-19s before being promoted to the top flight. Dowman has played five times for England Under-16s, 16 times for England Under-17s and eight times for England Under-19s.
However, a large number of experts seem to think that Mr. Yamal’s early rise to senior leadership in an established international superpower should not be used as a precedent or justification for Mr. Dauman to be called up by Mr. Tuchel. Why the hell not?
Lamine Yamal broke out at Barcelona at the age of 16 (Image: Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
Look at all the similarities above. Most importantly, look again at Yamal’s description by de la Fuente. “He is different. He is a very important person for the future.” For Yamal in September 2023, read Dauman in March 2026.
In terms of getting Dauman to the World Cup, the comparison with Yamal is not so straightforward. By the time Euro 2024 rolled around, Yamal was a regular starter for Barcelona.
However, putting the 2026 World Cup aside for now, England’s next matches will be against Uruguay and Japan. They will be said to be a key part of Tuchel’s preparations for the World Cup, and to some extent that may be the case.
But let’s see how many established players cry. My guess is at least six.
What an incredible opportunity for Tuchel to welcome Dauman into camp, watch him train up close and have him run out in front of a packed Wembley. Spectators might refrain from throwing paper airplanes if they can watch the country’s most exciting 16-year-old soccer player play.
What does Tuchel have to lose? And if he likes what he sees, let’s take Dauman to the World Cup. Reactions to it are usually based on the premise that 16-year-olds must be “protected.” What exactly are they being protected from?
Living in a luxury hotel? A media-type darts game? Jordan Henderson’s team bonding speech? A photo opportunity that might include an inflatable flamingo? Ed Sheeran’s private gig?
Okay, he definitely needs to be protected from every last one, but who doesn’t? However, it is clear that Dauman is now a footballer who belongs in a senior football environment, whether for club or country.
Dauman could be to Tuchel what Yamal is to de la Fuente, in terms of precocious talent, physical and mental maturity far beyond his years, and the potential to bring something “different”, as the Spanish manager said. This is not an opportunity that Tuchel should miss.
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