THE FUSE

Drawing on his own experience as a surprise 17-year-old inclusion in Sven-Goran Eriksson’s 2006 World Cup squad, Walcott urged the teenager to prioritise emotional growth over immediate glory. The former Arsenal and Everton winger admitted he would change his own past if given the chance: "I hope he [Dowman] doesn't go," he told the Daily Mirror. "I don't mean it in a horrible way because if I could go back in time, I would change things. I would say to myself: 'No, no, don't do it' but then try telling that to a 17-year-old! I do still see him and me differently as he's playing in the Premier League, but he needs to grow at his own pace, especially on the emotional side because he's a young adult.