Max Dowman should not go to the World Cup – and history tells us why
19.04.26, 08:00 Updated 19.04.26, 09:43 3 Minute Read
Chris Eldergill
English football has always loved a prodigy: Michael Owen, Wayne Rooney, Theo Walcott. We build them up from an early age and, too often, mistake potential for readiness. Max Dowman is the latest example. He may well be a generational talent, but that does not mean England should take a 16‑year‑old to the World Cup in the United States this summer. History suggests that would be a big mistake.
The noise around Dowman is growing. Some pundits are arguing that England should take him regardless of who misses out, framing the decision as brave rather than reckless and comparing him to teenage stars elsewhere in Europe. Even Thomas Tuchel has acknowledged the ‘crazy hype’ surrounding Dowman, while stressing the need not to increase pressure on a player still learning his trade.
It is worth pausing on that word: pressure. Because history tells us England does not handle it well when it comes to young players.
In 2006, Theo Walcott was taken to Germany aged 17 without having played a single Premier League minute. At the time, it was sold as bold thinking. In hindsight, even Walcott himself has been unequivocal: it was a mistake.
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