The coach criticised by Max Dowman’s father for speaking out on his role in his son’s development has apologised after being accused of ‘a really sad piece of attempted self-promotion’.
Dowman, 16, stole the headlines on Saturday after he led the Gunners to a crucial 2-0 win over Everton to send Mikel Arteta’s side nine points clear of Man City at the top of the Premier League.
The attacking midfielder, who has been training with Arsenal’s first team since he was 14, helped set up Viktor Gyokeres’ 89th-minute strike after coming off the bench, before he scored on the breakaway in the seventh minute of added time.
His goal made him the youngest scorer in Premier League history and several pundits have heaped praise on the 16-year-old, with John Terry even comparing him to Lionel Messi.
However, Dowman’s dad Robert was left fuming after a football coach by the name of Temisan Williams, previously an academy coach at Arsenal, Tottenham and Fulham, spoke about his experiences working with the 16-year-old.
‘Listening to this guy Temisan Williams claiming he was any part of Max’s journey is a really sad piece of attempted self-promotion,’ Dowman said on X.
Max Dowman’s dad has launched a scathing attack on a football coach who previously worked with the Arsenal wonderkid
Temisan Williams, once an academy coach at Arsenal, spoke about Dowman on talkSPORT, but has now issued an apology
‘I have asked him previously to refrain from doing so but still he pops up on talkSPORT this morning… I remember him putting the cones out at training a few times but that’s about it.
‘We have so many fabulous coaches who we are so grateful to. He is certainly not one of them……’
Williams, however, has now issued an apology. Taking to X, he wrote: ‘Following Rob Dowman’s comments today: I have spoken with Rob Dowman and apologised to him and his family.
‘Going forward, I will not be discussing Max Dowman’s development. I wish Rob Dowman and his family nothing but continued success.’
Speaking to Ally McCoist and Gabby Agbonlahor on talkSPORT’s breakfast show in a clip titled: ‘Max Dowman’s former coach REVEALS ALL on his journey to first team football at Arsenal!’, Williams said: ‘It’s a fantastic thing, incredible thing that Max has done.
‘It’s brilliant for his family, the academy, club, fans, and it’s always a bit of a surprise as the journey can have so many ups and downs. He should just enjoy that moment.
‘Scouts have done a fantastic job. I was the Under 12s assistant coach and was able to see Max for two years, a small part of his journey.
‘Max has always had that super-strength of being able to carry the ball. It’s always been something he has enjoyed and something he’s strong at. It’s something we saw in training and are now seeing on the TV.’
Dowman took to social media to criticise Williams for continuing to talk about his son publicly
Williams continued to praise Dowman and his family, before urging caution on hyping up the 16-year-old too much.
‘We definitely need to calm down,’ Williams added. ‘We’ve seen some crazy comparisons. He’s not even started his career and he’s being compared to those who are legends of the game.
‘Let’s wait 20, 25 years, God willing he has a successful career, and then maybe we can look at the comparisons.
‘It’s important for him to manage that journey and there are so many professionals around Max who will make sure that is the case.
‘Max is very grounded, has a grounded family who are brilliant. He’s doing very well in the Under 21s under Max Porter.’
Despite the positive words about his son, Dowman Snr was still unhappy with Williams.
In an interaction with a producer who was asking to interview him, Dowman replied: ‘Hi thank you for reaching out. Thank you very much for the opportunity but I won’t be offering comments or interviews. It’s not about me.
‘One piece of advice (I) will give you is that Temisan Williams claiming he has in any way contributed to Max’s development is verging on fraud.
Williams has revealed he reached out to Dowman’s father and won’t be commenting again
‘I seem to remember him putting the cones out at training a couple of times but that is about it. We are grateful to so many fabulous coaches who have helped Max. He is certainly not one of them.’
The producer replied, thanking Dowman for his response, before asking if there were any particular coaches or scouts he should try to speak to instead.
Dowman said: ‘No. But you shouldn’t give airtime to this guy. He will be using platforms to promote himself as Max’s coach to increase his profile under false pretences.
‘Ultimately he will prey on parents chasing the dream for their children. You really should do your diligence.’
Daily Mail Sport contacted Arsenal to find out more about Williams’ role at the club and how closely he worked with Dowman.
