Max Dowman has been called up to England’s Under-21s for the first time, and the 16-year-old will have two familiar Arsenal faces with him when he reports for duty.
Lee Carsley named his 23-man squad on Friday for the Young Lions’ games against Portugal and France this month. Dowman is in it, along with Ethan Nwaneri and goalkeeper Tommy Setford, both of whom are out on loan.
It is another step up for a player who has already gone through England’s Under-16, Under-17 and Under-19 sides. He has made 13 appearances for the Under-19s since his debut last year.
Why has Max Dowman been called up now?
The timing is a little awkward, because Dowman cannot play for Arsenal at the moment. He was sent off late on in the Carabao Cup defeat to Fleetwood Town for kicking out at Harrison Neal after a heavy challenge, and the Football Association rejected Arsenal’s appeal against the three-match ban. We looked at why that appeal failed on a split vote earlier this week.
That ban rules him out of Saturday’s game against Hull City and the trip to Newcastle United after the break. An international call-up gives him proper football to play in the meantime, at a level well above his age group.
His last outing for the Under-19s ended in a red card too, in a behind-closed-doors friendly against the United States last month. Carsley has picked him anyway, which tells you how highly England rate him.
What did Arteta say about Dowman’s England call-up?
Mikel Arteta was asked about it at his press conference on Friday, and he was pleased for the teenager. He said: “It’s great news, I think he’s very excited about that and now he has another contribution to do with the national team. Unfortunately, he cannot play for us in the next few games, but he will have the chance to play with the national team, which is great.”
Arteta was visibly angry with Dowman when he walked off at Fleetwood, and he later stood by that reaction. “We are not in Disneyland. We are in the Premier League at this level and we look after him so much that you cannot imagine,” he said back then. “But at the same time, we’re going to demand him like anybody else because he needs to earn the right to play.” He has since said that chapter is closed.
Nwaneri and Setford join him in the Young Lions squad
Ethan Nwaneri
The 19-year-old winger is on loan at Borussia Dortmund this season and has played 11 games across all competitions. He is still waiting for his first goal for the German club, so a week with England may be a welcome change of scene.
Tommy Setford
The 20-year-old goalkeeper left the Emirates in the summer to join Stevenage on loan, and he has become a regular in League One with eight league starts in a row. Both he and Nwaneri have played for the Under-21s before.
Two former Arsenal youngsters are in the squad as well: Brooke Norton-Cuffy and Amario Cozier-Duberry.
Who else is in England’s Under-21 squad?
Liverpool midfielder Trey Nyoni, Tottenham’s Archie Gray, Chelsea defender Josh Acheampong and Manchester City full-back Rico Lewis are among the other names. Liverpool teenager Rio Ngumoha has gone the other way, promoted to Thomas Tuchel’s senior squad, while Middlesbrough striker Will Lankshear misses out through injury.
England have already qualified for the 2027 Under-21 European Championship in Albania and Serbia. They sealed it with a goalless draw at home to Slovakia last month, and their unbeaten run in qualifying only ended with a defeat to the Republic of Ireland in the final game. They are the reigning back-to-back champions, having won the title in 2023 and 2025.
Verdict: the right place for Dowman to spend his ban
This works for everyone. Dowman cannot play for Arsenal until after Newcastle, and sitting out the international break as well would have meant weeks without a competitive game for a 16-year-old who is still learning his trade.
Playing against Portugal and France alongside players several years older is a different test to the Under-19s, and it is the kind of step that should help him handle the rough treatment that got him sent off at Fleetwood. If he keeps his head, he comes back to Arsenal sharper, not rustier.
