Arsenal have a number of established England internationals vying for a spot in Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup squad, and former Chelsea defender John Terry believes Max Dowman should be among them.
Noni Madueke, Ben White, Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice were all called up to Tuchel’s latest squad, although only the former two played for the Three Lions, with the latter two withdrawing from the camp altogether. Madueke was forced off with an injury against Uruguay, while White scored his first international goal against the South Americans, after his introduction sparked a chorus of boos amongst the Wembley crowd.
Meanwhile, Dowman spent the latest international break playing for England under-19s, scoring a sensational goal against Portugal on Tuesday. While the youngster is yet to even feature for the under-21s, Terry believes his development through the England set-up should be accelerated, and that Tuchel should make him a part of his squad for this summer’s tournament in North America.
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John Terry urges Thomas Tuchel to select Max Dowman for England World Cup squad
Dowman scored a late goal to seal Arsenal’s victory over Everton last month. This moment brought significant attention to the 16-year-old, with many not only calling for him to feature more regularly for the Gunners but also for Tuchel to consider him for the England first team.
The German manager ignored these calls, although he did address the Hale End graduate’s situation in a press conference upon his most recent squad announcement.
“We always have the chance to call him up for the World Cup,” Tuchel said.
“He put himself in the spotlight with this amazing goal against Everton and the crucial goal. I think at the moment he is competing and obviously an outstanding talent at this age; there cannot be a doubt about it.
“The reality at the moment, he’s competing for minutes; he’s not a regular starter. He’s in a fantastic environment, in the best environment possible at a competitive club, in a stable club.”
While Tuchel was coy on Dowman’s potential inclusion, Terry was not. Asked on his TikTok page whether the wonderkid should make England’s World Cup squad, the Chelsea legend replied: “Yes.”
Dowman has played just 238 senior career minutes, so calls for him to play for England are somewhat premature. That said, if he continues on his current trajectory, then a call-up can’t be too far away.
John Terry delivers World Cup verdict on Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze
While Dowman may be unlikely to make the England World Cup squad, the likes of Madueke and Eze are fighting tooth and nail to make it.
Saka is likely to assume the right-wing spot, and thus, Madueke will be competing with Bowen to deputise for Arsenal’s talisman. Meanwhile, Eze faces competition from the likes of Cole Palmer, Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, Morgan Rogers and Morgan Gibbs-White.
Rogers and Bellingham appear to be Tuchel’s favoured options in the attacking midfield area, although Eze’s versatility means he still has a chance.
In the same TikTok, Terry said yes to Eze’s inclusion and no to Madueke. The iconic former Premier League centre-back seemingly believes Dowman should back-up Saka over Madueke.
