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Former Arsenal winger Jermaine Pennant says Max Dowman must remain patient and can't get frustrated with a lack of first-team football after breaking more Gunners' records. The 15-year-old became the youngest player to appear in the Champions League after his cameo against Slavia Prague before the international break.

The talented attacker has burst onto the scene as one of the most exciting prospects to come out of London Colney since the likes of Bukayo Saka. Dowman has made two appearances in the Premier League, both coming off the bench, but made an immediate impact during their emphatic win over Leeds United as he won the penalty that saw Viktor Gyokeres round off the scoring.

This month, he is continuing to play four years above his age-group in the England set-up after already making five appearances for Will Antwi's under-19s.

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The records have topped in the opening three months of the season for Dowman, becoming the second youngest player in Premier League history when he was introduced late on against Daniel Farke's side.

He became the youngest Arsenal player to start a game for the first-team when they beat Brighton & Hove Albion in Carabao Cup.

Pennant, 42, made 26 appearances for the Gunners and made his debut for the club as a 19-year-old in the Premier League against West Ham United in 2002. The former forward was in a similar position to Dowman as he made his debut for Notts County in the FA Cup, less than two weeks before his 16th birthday.

He exclusively told the Mirror via NewBettingSites.uk: "You’ve got to take your hat off to him, at 15 years old he should be in school but he’s in the Champions League away at Slavia Prague, making history.

"He’s got his head on his shoulders, got good people around him to keep him grounded, Mikel Arteta is taking his time seeing him through and he looks a fantastic player with a fantastic future ahead of him."

Dowman has impressed the Arsenal head coach and Gunners midfield star Declan Rice has spoken highly of the attitude and quality of the attacker following his rise to the first-team.

The Spanish tactician has reaped the success of the academy pathway with the likes of Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly, as Dowman threatens to become the next first-team regular off the London Colney conveyor belt.

With the taste of first-team football comes a desperation for more and Pennant has warned that the England under-19 international doesn't become frustrated.

“The biggest thing is not to get frustrated," he added. "Once you get a taste, you want more, once that doesn’t happen, you can get frustrated. It’s like dangling the carrot, one minute it’s there, the next it’s gone.

"You’ve been amongst it but you’ve got to stay grounded, stay professional, keep working hard and understand that he’s just 15 that’s a very young age. He’s got so much more to learn and grow as a player, he’ll grow as an individual and biologically as well, he’s got all that and look forward to.

"He has to stay grounded and not get frustrated at the lack of gametime."

The Arsenal head coach lauded Dowman after he made his Champions League bow at the beginning of the month. The former Arsenal midfielder praised the youngster's personality and courage for his display in Prague.

He said: "What he's done on the pitch - he comes in, the first ball he takes is he takes people on, he starts to dribble and gets a foul. That's personality, that's courage - and you cannot teach that. You have it or you don't.

"And it doesn't matter what his passport says. You throw him in this context and he is able to adapt and have a good performance."

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