John Terry makes bold Lionel Messi comparison for Arsenal youngster Max Dowman and questions referee Paul Tierney incident (Image via Getty)
Max Dowman grabbed the spotlight this weekend, and even former Chelsea captain John Terry could not stop talking about him. The 16-year-old Arsenal midfielder made history after scoring in Arsenal’s 2-0 win over Everton in the Premier League.
His goal came in added time and made him the youngest goalscorer in Premier League history. Dowman came off the bench late in the game but still made a big impact. First, he helped create Viktor Gyokeres’ goal in the 89th minute. Soon after, he ran forward on a quick counter attack and scored himself in the seventh minute of stoppage time. The teenager has already been training with Arsenal’s first team since he was just 14 years old.
John Terry, who has seen the youngster play through his work with Chelsea’s academy, praised the teenager on TikTok and said Dowman’s style reminded him of one of football’s greatest players. At the same time, Terry also spoke about a strange moment involving referee Paul Tierney and Chelsea players before their match against Newcastle.
John Terry says Max Dowman reminds him of Lionel Messi and criticizes referee Paul Tierney after Chelsea huddle incident
John Terry said he has been impressed with Max Dowman for some time. He explained that he first noticed the youngster about a year ago when Dowman played against Chelsea’s youth side.
Speaking on TikTok, Terry said, “Max Dowman, what a player by the way. Sixteen years of age, almost seventeen, absolutely incredible. I watched him play against Chelsea about a year ago and I have not seen anybody glide past players like he does other than Lionel Messi.”He added, “That is a big comparison but this guy is a proper talent. He will play a big part in Arsenal’s future and also for England. He is a super talent and that was a big win for Arsenal.”Later, Terry shared his thoughts about a strange scene before Chelsea’s Premier League match against Newcastle. Chelsea players gathered in a tight team huddle near the center circle, but referee Paul Tierney was standing right in the middle of them.Terry was surprised by the moment and said players should have asked the referee to move away. He said, “What the f*** is Paul Tierney doing in the huddle with the Chelsea players before the game.
Surely the players should just get rid of him and tell him to f*** off. Referees should stay out of the way of things like that.”During the moment, Cole Palmer even looked directly at Tierney and later spoke to him after the huddle ended. Enzo Fernandez could also be seen laughing at the situation as the unusual scene lasted around 30 seconds.Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior later criticized the referee and said he would contact the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL).
According to Rosenior, the players only wanted to gather around the ball to show unity before kickoff.Rosenior said after the match, “My players made the decision that they wanted to be around the ball to show unity and leadership. That was their decision. If Paul had focused more on his job and the key decisions in the match, we could have had a penalty.” Chelsea eventually lost the match 1-0 at home.
