Arsenal, by virtue of their treble-chasing season, will have plenty of stars being picked by Thomas Tuchel and his entourage in the summer. Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka and (potentially!) Noni Madueke will be on the plane.
Rice and Saka are among the Three Lions’ non-negotiables given their experience on the international stage combined with their undeniable level of talent.
England appointed Tuchel to ‘bring football home’ after 60 years of hurt and there will be very little room for error in terms of his squad selection.
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One Arsenal player that has been snubbed by England is Max Dowman, the latest superstar to emerge from Hale End. The teenage sensation is one for the future – and Theo Walcott has urged him to reject an England call-up should it arrive.
Walcott sends Dowman England plea during international break
Walcott’s story is not too dissimilar to that of Dowman. He came through Hale End as a talented forward and went on to become something of a cult favourite.
Back in 2006, the winger-turned-pundit – who was 17 at the time – made his debut in a 3-1 win over Hungary but he hopes that Dowman doesn’t go down a similar path, telling him to prioritise emotional growth instead.
Speaking exclusively to The Mirror, he said: “I hope he [Dowman] doesn’t go. don’t mean it in a horrible way because if I could go back in time, I would change things. I would say to myself, ‘No, no, don’t do it’ but then try telling that to a 17-year-old!
“I do still see him and me differently as he’s playing in the Premier League but he needs to grow at his own pace, especially on the emotional side because he’s a young adult,” Walcott added.
Tuchel is no stranger to making brash calls as England boss and using Dowman this summer is not off the cards. In fact, Tuchel has already described the youngster as a ‘game-changer’.
“I had to grow up very fast but this team is still young and not as experienced. He’s being protected, which is important, whereas I had to get thrown in to talk to you lot!
“In his time, he will go, yes, but I don’t think this is the time and I think there are better players who arguably deserve to be there ahead of him,” he added. “He will eventually get there but England have wide players doing really well.”
Walcott then named more ready-made forwards – such as Saka and Madueke – at Tuchel’s disposal. “There’s Bukayo [Saka], [Noni] Madueke, Jarrod Bowen and Anthony Gordon and Harvey Barnes on the other side.”
Dowman World Cup call-up not off the cards
Instead of being offered the chance to rub shoulders with the likes of Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane, Dowman will be instead nurtured under the wing of Lee Carsley in the U19s set-up.
But Tuchel – the third non-Englishman to manage the Three Lions – has not ruled out his potential involvement this summer.
“We always have the chance to call him up for the World Cup,” Tuchel said, referencing the enviable talent the teen possesses.
Elsewhere, former Chelsea captain John Terry has been very complimentary of the Hale Ender, claiming that he should be on the plane for the 2026 World Cup.
“I know it’s early, I know he’s only played a couple of games. But for me, I would have him on the plane to the World Cup.
“I think he’s going to play some minutes for Arsenal towards the end of the season and I also think having someone like that, who’s completely different to anything else we’ve got in the squad, is going to be vital.”
