Arsenal youngster Max Dowman has been handed his maiden call-up to the England Under-21s squad.

The Gunners sensation, 16, was on Friday named in head coach Lee Carsley’s 23-man Young Lions group for upcoming friendlies against Portugal and France.

It is the first time that Dowman will step up to U21 football at international level, having previously represented his country in the U16, U17 and U19 age categories.

He was sent off on his last appearance for the U19s in a behind-closed-doors friendly against the United States last month.

Dowman was then dismissed late on while playing for Arsenal in their shock Carabao Cup last-16 defeat by fourth-tier Fleetwood for retaliating following a heavy challenge, with the Gunners’ appeal against his ban rejected by the Football Association (FA).

That drew a visibly furious reaction from manager Mikel Arteta, who had some choice words for the teenager as he trudged off having spoken to him before the match about not reacting to any rough treatment.

Arteta was criticised in some quarters for his response to Dowman’s red card at Fleetwood, but later doubled down on his approach and insisted “we are not in Disneyland” as he warned that the player had to meet the same standards as the rest of the first-team squad.

Dowman is joined in England’s U21s squad by Arsenal team-mates Tommy Setford and Ethan Nwaneri, currently out on loan at Stevenage and Borussia Dortmund respectively, plus former Gunners youngsters Brooke Norton-Cuffy and Amario Cozier-Duberry.

Other standout selections include soaring Liverpool midfielder Trey Nyoni, plus Tottenham star Archie Gray, Chelsea defender Josh Acheampong and Manchester City full-back Rico Lewis, who was drafted into the senior squad last month following the injury to club team-mate Nico O’Reilly.

However, Liverpool teenager Rio Ngumoha has been promoted to the senior squad by Thomas Tuchel, while prolific Middlesbrough striker Will Lankshear misses out through injury.

Following a goalless home draw with Slovakia, Carsley’s side last month qualified for the 2027 U21 European Championship, which takes place in Albania and Serbia next summer.

Their unbeaten run in qualifying was only ended by defeat to the Republic of Ireland in the final fixture, with England the current reigning back-to-back U21 champions of Europe after winning titles in both 2023 and 2025.