Theo Walcott urges Max Dowman to snub World Cup if Thomas Tuchel picks Arsenal gem

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Eight five days out from England's World Cup opener against Croatia in Texas, Thomas Tuchel has plenty to deliberate. The frank and forward-thinking Three Lions boss is certainly no stranger to a big call and the door remains firmly open for surprises.

Jude Bellingham was a shock omission from his squad in October while Real Madrid team-mate Trent Alexander-Arnold was recently overlooked for his inflated 35-man roster for upcoming friendlies versus Uruguay and Japan. Tuchel is leaving no stone unturned in his bid to end England's gruelling 60-year wait for glory.

For that reason, he is refusing to rule out utilising a unique secret weapon in North America: Arsenal's 16-year-old wonderkid Max Dowman, whom the German has already described as a "game-changer."

While the dazzling Gunners phenomenon is not yet part of the senior fold - he's currently in Guimaraes with England U19s - there is bound to be chatter about the red-hot teenager within the walls of St George's Park. But history tells us that mercurial prospects must be handled diligently and with the utmost care. At 17 years and 75 days, Theo Walcott remains England's youngest-ever debutant, however, Dowman would obliterate that long-standing record if he were to receive the nod this summer.

Yet talking from his own personal experience, Walcott feels Dowman should swerve a World Cup call-up even if he earns a plane ticket on merit following the conclusion of his GCSE examinations.

The 37-year-old notes his shock inclusion - he was still yet to make a first-team appearance for Arsenal - in Sven-Goran Eriksson's 2006 squad created unnecessary hype that harmed his development.

Walcott said: "I hope he [Dowman] doesn't go. 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. "I had to grow up very fast but this team is still young and not as experienced. He's being protected, which is important, whereas I had to get thrown in to talk to you lot!

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"In time he will go, yes, but I don't think this is the time and I think there are better players who arguably deserve to be there ahead of him. "He will eventually get there but England have wide players doing really well, there's Bukayo [Saka], [Noni] Madueke, Jarrod Bowen and Anthony Gordon and Harvey Barnes on the other side." In 2008, Walcott put his name up in lights on the international stage with a breathtaking hat-trick to stun Croatia in Zagreb.

But he was later overlooked by Fabio Capello for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and also missed the 2014 tournament in Brazil following knee surgery.

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In his mind, Dowman simply needs to maintain focus on the here and now. He concluded: "The great thing about him is he plays with freedom and to his strengths.

"I think it's credit to Mikel Arteta for allowing to that happen. Even the other week at Mansfield, the pitch was awful but you wouldn't have thought so as the ball was stuck to his feet.

"Whenever he's been tested, he's passed with flying colours. Still, we can't get ahead of ourselves, we need to give him time.

"In Mikel he's got a good man around him and top players to learn from, Bukayo will look after him and I think that's important, he's in a good space."