'Unbelievable!' - Mikel Arteta hails 15-year-old Max Dowman as 'very impressive' but admits 'restrictions' are holding Arsenal back from furthering development

Attacking midfielder Dowman turned 15 in December but has featured repeatedly for Arsenal's Under-18 side this season, and even came off the bench for the U21s. Now, Gunners manager Arteta says the teenager is "very impressive" but admitted his age causes "restrictions" with his development for now.

He said, via journalist Jordan Davies: "Very impressive. Some of the things he [Dowman] does are unbelievable. We have a lot of belief we can develop him into one of our own. There are a lot of restrictions for his age so we will have to wait and see. He is taking fast steps."

Dowman has been billed as the next big thing at Arsenal but managing his development and expectations will be key to his future success. If they can harness his ability correctly, the Gunners appear to have a real gem on their hands.

While Arsenal watch Dowman's progress with real interest, Arsenal's first-team take on Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League on Wednesday.