Max Dowman has been one of the stars of the season so far - but he has not been included in Arsenal's 25-man Premier League squad. Dowman, 15, made his debut for the north London side earlier this term having impressed Mikel Arteta and his staff.

And with the transfer window now closed, the midfielder is expected to play a key role. But with the announcement of Arsenal’s Premier League squad, a number of eagle-eyed fans noticed that Dowman was actually not included.

There is a reason, however. That is due to the Premier League not requiring clubs to register players under the age of 21, meaning that there can be an unlimited amount.

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And due to his age, Dowman, of course, fits into that category. The youngster was named on the subs bench as Arsenal took on Forest at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.

He will certainly be hoping for more opportunities to impress as the season progresses, given Arteta;s glowing praise of him earlier this season. Speaking on The Leadership Playbook, the Arsenal boss said: "It's bringing clarity, the right environment and then actions.

"We want to transform our players, staff and everyone around with one purpose, to win trophies.

"It's that capacity to transform, for me that is the power of it, the capacity to change somebody's life. For me, now, for a 15-year-old to fulfil his dream of being a football player, his family, the consequences of that, that is magic."

Arteta also praised Dowman after he was handed his Premier League debut against Leeds earlier this season. He said: "We have to gather all the information. It's how he reacts and deals with the situation, what his team-mates think about him - which is clear, because they kept on passing him the ball.

"It is great to be able to change the energy in the stadium by bringing him in and he had an impact. He won a penalty on his debut at the Emirates. That's incredible.

"It's credit, first of all, to his family, the way these kids have been raised and the environment created. They're not overwhelmed by the environment and context.

"And the work of the academy, for helping to raise these kids in that manner with the confidence and understanding of the game at just 15 years old."

Dowman could have a few opportunities to impress over the coming weeks. The north Londoners kick-off theirChampions League campaign against Athletic Club - ahead of next weekend’s showdown with Manchester City.