Max Dowman’s family become Fifa agents to manage Arsenal teenager’s career

Arsenal's Max Dowman warming up ahead of during the Champions League match with Bayer Leverkusen. Pic: Bradley Collyer/PA Wire. 

Max Dowman’s father and brother have obtained Fifa agent licences with the family intent on managing his career for the foreseeable future.

The family has been inundated with approaches from agents since Dowman made his Arsenal debut as a 15-year-old last August but there are no plans to sign with a major talent or representation agency. Last weekend, at 16 years and 73 days, Dowman became the youngest goalscorer in Premier League history.

Dowman signed a pre-contract agreement with Arsenal in January, which will automatically convert to his first professional contract when he turns 17 on December 31.

The paperwork on those deals was negotiated by the sports, media and entertainment legal firm Onside Law, with Rob and Ethan Dowman also able to represent the winger in any future contract negotiations.

There has been a growing trend of top players being represented by family members since Fifa deregulated its agent licensing system a decade ago, but the Dowmans appear better qualified than most.

Rob Dowman, in addition to being a grassroots coach, is the founder and chief executive of the insurance company Pantheon Speciality, and his elder son Ethan works as a broker having obtained an economics degree from Nottingham University.

Both are understood to have obtained Fifa agent licences after passing exams introduced by the world governing body in 2003, which in the first round of entrants had a pass-rate of 52%.

Dowman’s immediate priority is to continue progressing at Arsenal and to obtain a good set of GSCEs this summer. Although he has signed a boot deal with Adidas and appeared in an advert alongside Ian Wright, there is no rush from the family to obtain further commercial deals.

Guardian