Robert Pires loves Mikel Arteta’s treatment of Arsenal star who has started just three games

Robert Pires pulled an autographed Max Dowman rookie card – before tipping the Arsenal star to earn his senior stripes this month.

The Gunners Invincible told talkSPORT how much he’s loved the way Mikel Arteta has protected the teenager during his breakout season.

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Dowman has underlined why he was considered the jewel of Arsenal’s Hale End academy with his performances at senior level this year.

The 16-year-old became the Premier League’s youngest ever goalscorer in a 2-0 victory over Everton in March.

His five appearances in the top-flight have already made him eligible to claim a winners’ medal should Arsenal go on to win the title.

However, Arteta has been careful not to rush Dowman’s development amid calls for him to be given a spot in England’s World Cup squad.

The attacking midfielder has made just three starts across all competitions this year, none of which have come in the league.

In recent weeks, Arteta has turned to Dowman for inspiration as his side have shown signs of waning at the business end of the season.

Arsenal’s No.56 played in both legs of the club’s Champions League quarter-final victory over Sporting Lisbon, and the earliest he has been introduced in a Premier League game came in the 2-1 defeat to Bournemouth to showcase his manager’s faith in him.

Robert Pires makes Max Dowman prediction

World Cup winner Pires opened up on Dowman’s progress after fittingly pulling the latter’s wonderkid card – ironically alongside another Gunners academy star, Myles Lewis-Skelly.

“Some players, it’s like this, they have a lot of talent,” The Frenchman exclusively told talkSPORT.com. “Of course, after you need to be serious, to put in good discipline.

Harvey Aspell

“I think Max is also very intelligent,” Pires continued to talkSPORT.

“I love Mikel Arteta, but Max Dowman, because I think he’s like a dad, he protects his son.

“He knows he’s very good; he knows he has good qualities.

“I think at the end of the season, Max, for some games, he can help the team. The future for Max is very good.”

Pires also predicted a similarly bright future for France, whose World Cup squad this summer will be full of wonderkids-turned-superstars.

The 52-year-old named Les Blues as favourites but believes Didier Deschamps won’t be complacent about the team’s quality.

Pires says France are World Cup favourites

“To be honest, I’m very happy because the team is very good,” Pires added to talkSPORT. “We have a very, very good talent.

“[Ousmane] Dembele, [Kylian] Mbappé, [Desire] Doué, [Bradley] Barcola.

“Of course, I’m not arrogant, but I think we are the favourites for the World Cup.

“But for this, you need to play good football. And of course, the most important thing is to respect the football.

“You need to respect the other players and the other teams. Deschamps, the manager, he knows about this. So that’s why I’m confident with my team, yes.”

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1998 World Cup memories

Pires knows exactly what it takes to lift the trophy, having been part of the French squad that won the Jules Rimet prize on home soil.

“It was a long time ago, 1998. But it was a special moment because we used to play at home. The pressure was very, very high.

“And we did well, obviously, because we lifted the trophy at the end of the competition. But this moment was…I don’t have a word.

“It’s amazing, it’s unbelievable. It was outstanding, I don’t know.

“But when you play football, when you play for your country, it’s the best trophy, yes, of course.”