Max Dowman is generating the type of excitement to when Wayne Rooney burst onto the scene – but there’s still a long way to go.That’s according to Arsenal legend Ray Parlour, who has had the chance to run the rule over the 15-year-old rising star this summer.New Arsenal talent Dowman has been tipped to become a superstarGettyDowman has massively caught the eye during pre-season so far, making his senior debut for the club against AC Milan.Then, against Premier League rivals Newcastle, he won a penalty in a 3-2 victory, in a performance that Mikel Arteta called ‘special’, before winning another spot-kick in the recent defeat to Villarreal.Dowman, who was drafted into first-team training at age 14, has been described by Declan Rice as “the best 15-year-old in the country”.As per talkSPORT’s Simon Jordan, the playmaker could be en route to becoming a world-beater in football like Lamine Yamal.Parlour was in Singapore for Arsenal’s opening pre-season fixtures, and was pictured alongside Dowman after he’d made his debut.Recalling their exchange together, ‘the Romford Pele’ told talkSPORT: “I just said well done because he played against AC Milan and I thought he’s done so well when he came on.“Do you know what he said to me? He said, ‘Well, I could have done a little bit better in certain parts of the game.’“I went, ‘Wait a minute, Max. You’re 15-and-a-half. You’re playing for Arsenal’s first team. Don’t expect too much. Just go out and express yourself, enjoy yourself.’“He’s such a well-grounded young man. It’s really funny because I was in a bar in the area of the stadium, and this guy and a woman came up and said, ‘Ray, it’s a long way from Billericay, isn’t it?’ Which is around the corner to me.“I didn’t know who they was, I thought they were his supporters. And he went, ‘Oh, I’m Max Dowman’s dad.’ He lives in the radius of me, about probably six or seven miles away. I just said, ‘Oh, you must be very proud.’Arsenal legend Ray Parlour passed on some valuable advice to Dowman in SingaporeGetty“He was in tears when he’d come on. It’s a dream come true because they see him all growing up through the academies.“Can he ever get into that first team, especially in this day and age, because it’s a lot harder to get into that first team now because of the players and how many players they’ve got.“So I was very proud of seeing another player come through the academy. There’s a long way to go.“I said to him, ‘Look, keep your feet on the ground, work hard, that’s the most important thing. You haven’t made it yet!’“But if he can keep going the way he’s going, he’s going to be one of the best around for English football.”Dowman made his debut for the Arsenal Under-18s at just 13 years old, and has scored 20 goals for the side alongside ten assists.Dowman is certainly one to watch for this seasonThe teen netted 15 times in as many appearances in the U18 Premier League last season before making the step-up this summer.Dowman could follow Foden pathwayHe follows in the footsteps of fellow Hale End graduates Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri, both of whom broke through last term.“Mikel Arteta – he gets them into training sessions,” Parlour continued. “That’s what he’s done.“And if he sees enough in a player, he will keep pushing them in, pushing, pushing, pushing, and giving them opportunities.“[Then] it’s all down to the player to keep improving, keep working hard. And as I said before, if you can learn off people like Declan Rice and guys like that…It’s a little bit like Phil Foden.“Why doesn’t he go on loan? Pep Guardiola was saying, ‘Wait a minute, he’s playing with [Kevin] De Bruyne and people like that. He can improve by playing with David Silva and top top top class players in training every day, and that’s how they nurtured him through.Guardiola said it was ‘impossible’ that Foden could leave Manchester City on loanGettyRooney quickly became a household name while at EvertonGetty Images - Getty“So I’m sure Max will be very, very similar, but he will start a game this year, there’s no doubt about it.Dowman hype similar to 15-year-old Rooney“He’s 16 in December, but I can see him playing a part this year.“I thought he was very good,” Parlour added. “Every time I’ve seen him play, he’s made something happen.As a number 10. He’s got that little change of pace when he drops his shoulder, goes past someone with his left foot. Very, very dangerous.“So I expect him to really flourish, and there’s a long way to go. “I don’t want to put too much expectation on him, but what I’ve seen so far, he could be a hell of a player. “I remember Wayne Rooney and people like that coming through.“I remember people saying when he was 15 in the reserves, unbelievable player, all that sort of stuff. Max is very probably similar.“But as I said before, there’s a long way to go and you’ve just got to keep working hard, keep doing what the coach says and try and learn off the other players as well.”