Max Dowman’s father has called out a youth football coach for attempting to use the Arsenal youngster’s journey for self-promotion in the media.
Arsenal youngster Max Dowman scoring his first senior goal has been a big story all weekend, particularly given the nature of the goal.
Plenty of young players have scored their first goals with the pressure off, coming on late in low-stakes games with their team already winning by multiple goals. Not many have scored their first goals to secure three points in a title-decider.
Yet the player’s father believes some people are now trying to capitalise on his son’s success for a bit of self-promotion, calling out Temisan Williams after an appearance on talkSPORT, in which Williams was presented as “Dowman’s former coach”.
“Listening to this guy Temisan Williams claiming he was any part of Max’s journey is a really a sad piece of attempted self promotion,” Robert Dowman wrote on social media.
“I have asked him previously to refrain from doing so but still he pops up on Talk Sport this morning.
“I remember him putting the cones out at training a few times but that’s about it. We have so many fabulous coaches who we are so grateful to. He is certainly not one of them.
“Temisan Williams claiming he has in any way contributed to Max’s development is verging on fraud.”
It certainly wouldn’t be surprising if some youth coaches and scouts tried to play up their involvement in Dowman’s development, considering the buzz around the 16-year-old at the moment.
Those coaches may now be a bit wary of doing so, with Dowman’s father clearly ready to call them out if they don’t speak truthfully about their roles.