Scholes Backs Dowman for World Cup Squad, Says England Should "Take Him All Day Long"

Paul Scholes has thrown his weight behind young Arsenal sensation Max Dowman for England's World Cup squad, declaring the teenager a generational talent Thomas Tuchel simply cannot afford to overlook.

The former Manchester United midfielder, speaking on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast, pulled no punches in his assessment. "He's unbelievable," Scholes said of the 16-year-old, who recently became the Premier League's youngest-ever goalscorer following his late heroics against Everton and the youngest player to feature in a Champions League quarter-final.

When pressed on whether Dowman merits a place in the World Cup squad, Scholes invoked Spain's bold decision to take Lamine Yamal. "Look at Spain with Lamine Yamal… get him in! We've not got a player like Dowman," he insisted. "I think Thomas Tuchel is the type of manager who might take him. Did you see his goals for the England U20s?"

Scholes went further when asked who Dowman should be selected ahead of, with a blunt response: "Anyone, I don't care. I think he's brilliant. Spain would do it and Spain are successful. I would take him all day long, I don't think there's an English player with the ability he's got. He floats past people."

Rio Ferdinand echoed the sentiment, insisting the teenager must travel to the tournament this summer. "I think he has to go. I think he's special," Ferdinand said, pointing to Dowman's ability to replicate his youth-team dominance against established Premier League defenders. "He's doing the same thing he did through every age group in the Premier League against grown men."

Ferdinand highlighted the broader value of tournament experience, drawing on his own career. "Michael Owen went to the World Cup young and blew up the whole world. You have to give these talents the experience and even if he went there and didn't play it would be useful for him to get used to the environment and playing at a tournament," he explained. "I didn't play a minute at the 1998 World Cup but that experience really helped at the 2002 tournament."

The pair's enthusiasm stands against a crowded attacking landscape for England, with Cole Palmer, Phil Foden, Bukayo Saka, Noni Madueke, Anthony Gordon, Jude Bellingham, Marcus Rashford and Morgan Rogers all vying for selection under Tuchel.

Ferdinand remained undeterred by the competition. "I would 100% take him – look at Spain with Lamine Yamal, I'm not comparing them but they saw a special talent and took him and then he blew everyone's socks off. I would love to see him go – it would be so exciting for English football."