Rio Ferdinand believes Arsenal have best talent since Wayne Rooney in bold statement

Manchester United icon Rio Ferdinand has hailed Arsenal prodigy Max Dowman as the most thrilling English prospect since Wayne Rooney.

Despite not even being old enough to take his GCSEs, Dowman stood out on the Gunners' pre-season tour of Asia. Amidst a transfer window that saw the likes of Viktor Gyokeres and Noni Madueke join the club, the 15-year-old may be the one who is exciting Arsenal fans the most.

Mikel Arteta fielded him in the friendlies against AC Milan, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur, where he certainly made his mark. Born in 2009, Dowman has alreadyearned plaudits from Declan Rice and Arteta for his performances.

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Ferdinand, who clinched his fourth Premier League crown in 2009, the year Dowman was born, is so taken by the teenager's potential, he equates his excitement to that of witnessing a youthful Rooney. On his show, , the former England skipper said: "Dowman excites me on another level. This kid is different."

In response to co-host Joel Beya, who referenced the fact many have said he is as exciting as Rooney, Ferdinand said: "Yes. I am saying the same thing."

After Beya suggested Ferdinand should be cautious with such comparisons, the former defender retorted: "What? Have you seen him? They're different. This kid is not Rooney.

"Just let me put it out there, he is not Rooney. He is not built. He hasn't got a hairy chest. He hasn't got a beard at the age of 16. Rooney was a man. A man-child."

Rooney's Premier League debut in 2003 was nothing short of sensational, making his mark for Everton at just 16 years old. He came on as a substitute against Arsenal and scored an unforgettable goal from 30 yards that ricocheted off the crossbar and into the net.

Rooney went on to become both United and England's all-time leading scorer, until Harry Kane surpassed him for the latter in a match against Italy in 2023. While Ferdinand has drawn parallels between the early careers of Rooney and Dowman, he emphasised their distinct playing styles.

He added: "The thing with Wayne Rooney is that he had guile, but he came on with brute force. He was like, 'You're going to know about me because I'm going to force it down your throat.'

"This kid is more subtle, more technical. All he is going to do is have people on ice skates, slipping and sliding everywhere. Very rarely do you see a player actually get near him and touch him.

"He is that elusive. He's a player who will excite you, get you off your seat. You'll be going, 'Have you seen that?' He's making defenders into memes."

Dowman is yet to make his full, competitive senior debut for the Gunners, but this season presents a promising opportunity. Arteta has a history of promoting young talent, having made Ethan Nwaneri the youngest player in Premier League history when he introduced him during a 3-0 triumph at Brentford in 2022, aged just 15 years and 181 days old.