'positive' Dowman Plays 'like Messi' - Walcott

Arsenal's 15-year-old winger Max Dowman reminds Theo Walcott of Lionel Messi and is "so refreshing" to watch.

Dowman made his Gunners debut successful Saturday's 5-0 Premier League rout of Leeds astatine nan property of 15 years and 234 days, making him nan club's second-youngest player.

And having watched nan teen successful action, Walcott says his style reminds him of Argentina icon Messi - nan expertise to move quickly pinch nan shot and usage of a debased centre of gravity to make defenders "tired".

"What's really fascinating is that [Arsenal manager] Mikel Arteta will let him to do that because that's his strength," said Walcott, who spent 12 years astatine Arsenal aft joining nan nine successful 2006.

"He carries nan ball, he's quicker pinch nan ball. He's for illustration Messi. I retrieve playing against Messi - erstwhile he was disconnected nan shot he's not quick. Maybe it's because I was quicker than most.

"When he had nan shot he would conscionable glide past people, glide past maine pinch ease. [Dowman's] sewage that, he's sewage nan stop-start."

Dowman's cognition besides impressed Walcott, who said his affirmative and nonstop attack is thing wherever "he could do it each day".

"He's sewage expertise wherever you conscionable can't thatch it, because he plays pinch that freedom," added Walcott.

"We talk astir nan emotion of football, shot being boring astatine times to watch. Watching, he's not boring to watch.

"He's truthful affirmative each clip he has it and that's what I emotion astir these players that are conscionable positive. It's truthful refreshing."

Walcott knows each astir nan unit Dowman will face, having made his ain Premier League debut for Arsenal astatine 16 and for England a twelvemonth later.

He admitted having a due support web astir Dowman was "important" and nan "main key" to his progress.

"The biggest situation is nan extracurricular sound and really he copes pinch moreover his schoolhouse life, that equilibrium of moreover stepping retired connected nan thoroughfare and recognising him," Walcott added connected BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club.

"That societal media world, I didn't person that coming through, we didn't person that erstwhile we were younger. It was very different."