'Spain would take him!' - Max Dowman could break into England's World Cup squad as Arsenal icon Jack Wilshere makes Lamine Yamal comparison

Wilshere has been close to Dowman's development since the youngster was just 13, coaching him within the Arsenal academy. The impact was immediate, with the 34-year-old recalling a phone call to his father where he admitted the kid might be a superior talent to himself. The Luton manager is adamant that the winger's physical robustness and technical maturity set him apart from almost any other prospect in the country.

Wilshere said in an interview with The Telegraph: "I remember calling my dad and saying, ‘Dad, you need to come and watch this kid. I think he is better than me’. My dad is very biased towards me. He thinks I am the best player. It actually gets to the point where I argue with him sometimes. I don’t want to put pressure on him [Dowman], but there is so much now anyway." He also noted that Dowman's Premier League record-breaking strike was beyond his own 16-year-old self, stating: "I don't score that goal at 16."

With Thomas Tuchel considering his options for the upcoming tournament in North America, Wilshere believes the Three Lions should look at how Spain integrated Lamine Yamal at Euro 2024. While England often leans toward protecting young players, Wilshere argues that if a player is good enough, age should be no barrier to senior international football.

"The only thing I would say is, Spain would take him. That’s what I think. We have this way at times in England of building them up but then protecting them. You get caught in that [place]: ‘If he goes what will people say?’ He [Dowman] is definitely good enough. Even if he goes and he doesn’t play that much. Which I think he can. I think he is good enough. He is going to be there eventually. I understand people saying, ‘Maybe not’. But I also think Yamal went as a 16-year-old [to Euro 2024] and he was the best player in the tournament," Wilshere said.

Despite Wilshere's enthusiasm, other former England stars have urged caution. Michael Owen, who famously took the 1998 World Cup by storm as a teenager, suggested that Dowman has not yet done enough to displace established stars in the squad.

"He would have to basically start virtually every game from now to the end of the season and smash the lights out of everything for you to be able to justify him going ahead of what is probably the strongest part of our team in those attacking wide areas," Owen said. Similarly, former Arsenal star Theo Walcott warned against the emotional toll of such a move, saying: "I hope he doesn't go. If I could go back in time, I would change things. He needs to grow at his own pace, especially on the emotional side because he's a young adult."

While Dowman remains with the Under-19s for the March international break, Tuchel has been careful not to dismiss the possibility of a summer call-up. The German coach is monitoring the teenager's progress closely, acknowledging the "fearlessness" that young players can bring to a major tournament environment.

"We always have the chance to call him maybe up for the World Cup. The thing with young players to keep the momentum maybe going, keep their excitement. They have a level of fearlessness with them. There is no need to call him up now and increase the pressure and increase all the noise that comes with it but we have all options," Tuchel said.

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