Wayne Rooney has warned Arsenal fans that teenage sensation Max Dowman may not feature heavily in the club's title run-in due to his GCSE commitments. The 16-year-old prodigy became the youngest goalscorer in Premier League history on Saturday, scoring in stoppage time to secure a 2-0 win over Everton.
Dowman has enjoyed a meteoric rise this season, also becoming the youngest player to start an FA Cup match for Arsenal and the youngest to feature in the Champions League. Manager Mikel Arteta has compared him to a young Lionel Messi, and the club has secured his long-term future.
Arsenal sit nine points clear at the top of the Premier League with seven games left, and are still competing in the Champions League, FA Cup, and Carabao Cup. However, Rooney, who himself rose to prominence as a teenager, believes Dowman's education will take priority in the short term.
"He has got his GCSEs, and his education, I'm sure for him and his family, is important as well," Rooney said. "What an opportunity for him to be around the squad. He could be a Premier League winner when he's still finishing school off."
Rooney added: "He won't be in as much as he'd probably like, but then you've got many years ahead of you."
