Former England striker Wayne Rooney believes young talent Max Dowman should be treated with patience. On Saturday, as league leaders Arsenal won 2-0 against Everton, Dowman became the youngest goalscorer in Premier League history. At 16 years and 73 days, Dowman surpassed James Vaughan's record, who was 16 years and 270 days old when he scored for Everton against Crystal Palace on April 10, 2005. Rooney knows better than anyone what it means to be under pressure at such an age, having risen to prominence five days before his 17th birthday by scoring for Everton in the same fixture in 2002. Dowman is set to sit his high school final exams later this year. In his BBC show, Rooney said: "For me, it was all about football over education. I don't know what his situation is." He added: "I think he probably won't be around the team as much as he'd like...". Rooney believes he "has to get through these exams, he has a long way to go ahead of him", adding "what an opportunity for him to be part of the team. He could become a Premier League hero while still finishing his education". Rooney expressed his enthusiasm for Dowman's talent, saying: "He has a presence and a self-confidence... From the games I've seen, he doesn't allow the pressure to affect him because he gets the ball, keeps it, and forces defenders to face him and tries to take them on. Therefore, when a 16-year-old boy emerges like that, it's clear he has a lot of talent, and all we can hope is that he can fulfill his full potential." He concluded: "Let him enjoy and express himself".
