The father of 16-year-old Arsenal prodigy Max Dowman has publicly criticised a former coach, Temisan Williams, for claiming credit for the teenager's development. Williams, a former under-12s assistant coach at Arsenal who now runs his own coaching business, gave an interview to talkSPORT in which he suggested he played a role in Dowman's rise through the academy.
Dowman's father, Rob, took to social media to condemn the remarks, describing them as 'verging on fraud'. He wrote: 'Listening to this guy Temisan Williams claiming he was any part of Max's journey is a really sad piece of attempted self-promotion. I have asked him previously to refrain from doing so but still he pops up on talkSPORT this morning. I remember him putting the cones out at training a few times but that's about it.'
He added: 'Temisan Williams claiming he has in any way contributed to Max's development is verging on fraud… he will be using platforms to promote himself as Max's coach to increase his profile under false pretences.'
Williams later apologised, stating: 'I have spoken with Rob Dowman and apologised to him and his family. Going forward, I will not be discussing Max Dowman's development. I wish Rob Dowman and his family nothing but continued success.'
Max Dowman made headlines after coming off the bench to score a remarkable goal in Arsenal's 2-0 win over Everton, becoming the Premier League's youngest goalscorer. Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has urged caution, saying: 'Let's come down to earth today and enjoy the moment, because it was intense and it was worth it and we will see tomorrow.' The club is managing expectations around Dowman, who has yet to take his GCSEs.
