Charlie Patino interview: 'I'm sure I will play for England or Spain one day... I have no doubt about it'

As the exceptional Max Dowman made Premier League history by becoming the competition's youngest-ever scorer, another Hale End graduate was being inundated with minute-by-minute updates.

"The goal was all over my Instagram feed, so I saw it about a hundred times!" says a smiling Charlie Patino, who was around 1,500 miles away from North London when Dowman set off on his mazy run.

While those inside the Emirates celebrated a moment of individual brilliance, Patino was winding down after an away game at the Estadio Alfonso Murube in Ceuta, a small city that sits 11 miles south of Gibraltar.

Like Dowman, he started from the subs bench on the afternoon of March 14 as visitors Deportivo La Coruna boosted their chances of making a long-awaited return to La Liga with a stoppage-time winner.

In his own words, Patino is really happy for a player who is capable of reaching the very top.

"What Max has done so far is great,” the 23-year-old tells SPORTbible. “He's still very young, like I was when I broke through. And like me, he has still got a lot of learning and growing to do. Hopefully we'll cross paths one day and get to play with or against each other.”

Patino knows a thing or two about a breakthrough. Back in late 2021, he made an immediate impact on his senior debut for Arsenal, scoring just 12 minutes after coming on in a Carabao Cup quarter-final win over Sunderland.

A large section of match-goers that day were aware of his talent. Shaun O'Connor, a senior academy scout at Arsenal, described him as “the best player to ever walk through the doors at Hale End”, but when the teenager netted with his first shot in professional football, the wider football world began to take notice.

Shortly after full-time he took to Instagram and posted a picture of his goal celebration alongside a caption that read: “The best day of my life”.

In fact, more than four years later, that post is still pinned at the top of Patino’s profile. Every now and then, an Arsenal supporter will drop by and leave a heartfelt message. The most recent comment, from a couple of weeks ago, reads: “Max Dowman before Max Dowman.”

Patino is held in high regard by the Arsenal and Deportivo faithful, a testament to his talent and character. Even fans from Blackpool and Swansea City, two clubs that welcomed him on loan, are actively interested in what comes next.

Having spent more than an hour with the Watford-born midfielder from his flat in picturesque Galicia, you can begin to understand why so many have warmed to the man.

“When I'm walking around town, people always seem hesitant to come over for a chat or a picture,” says Patino, who is more than happy to stop and say hola. “A lot of people see footballers' lives as different but we're humans too. We just kick a ball around.”

The life of a footballer is rarely straightforward. There have been setbacks over the past few years, something he is open and honest about. More recently, Patino struggled in his debut season at Deportivo, with a lack of regular minutes being a source of frustration.

The overriding feeling is that timing, a word he repeats on numerous occasions, has never quite been on his side, but the certainty around his own ability remains constant. Patino’s unwavering self-belief is endearing.

"I feel like my time is coming," he says. “I’ve always believed in my ability, and I still do. I have high expectations of myself and what I want to achieve in my career. I’m sure I will play for England or Spain one day. You’ve got to have that confidence.”

So, why hasn't Patino made that major step like some of his former teammates? It is a difficult question to answer.

Some believe he was never given a chance to prove his worth at Arsenal, a subject he addresses with candid honesty. Those who follow La Coruna also feel strongly about first-team opportunities under manager Antonio Hidalgo and often send messages of support over Instagram DM’s.

Yet, after seeing his drive to succeed up close, it would be unwise for anyone to write him off just yet. The spark is very much alive.

Around 15 minutes before every warm-up on matchday, Charlie Patino will take a piece of paper out of his washbag.

“On that paper are the eight commandments," he explains. "I made them with my dad when I was really young. They were the things he thought I needed to do to rise above everyone else. I always look at them in the changing room before games and try to implement them on the pitch.”

An example of one of the commandments is to 'call for the ball at all times’. Another is to simply move the ball forward.

"After the game, I reflect and say, ‘Have I done this one? Tick. Have I done that one? Tick.’ I might not have completed one of them, so I’ll try to do it in the next game," he adds.

Whether it be reading those fundamentals his dad, Julio, wrote all those years ago, or analysing footage from every one of his matches growing up, Patino has always been driven by a desire to refine his game, so when a number of Premier League clubs came knocking in 2011, it was a result of not only talent but hard work.

Brian Stapleton, the Arsenal scout who discovered Patino while playing for Luton Town, was absolutely convinced.

"Of all the years I’ve been scouting, he’s the best kid I’ve ever seen," he told GOAL. "I got a tip off about Charlie from a guy, so I went over there and I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. He was on another planet to anyone else on the pitch."

Soon, word got back to the club about his ability, although there was still plenty of groundwork to do. Manchester City, Tottenham and Chelsea expressed an interest and pitched their project to one of the most sought-after youngsters in the country, but Patino and his family decided on Arsenal after getting a "really big buzz" from the place.

The Arsenal years

After graduating through their academy with flying colours, many thought that debut goal against Sunderland would be the start of a long and successful relationship.

Two weeks later he was handed a start in their FA Cup clash against Nottingham Forest, a game that happened to be his second, and last, senior appearance for Arsenal. Productive loan spells at Championship sides Blackpool and Swansea followed before he was sold in a transfer worth around £1 million with a sell-on clause.

Looking back, Patino recalls enjoying "many amazing years" at Arsenal. He is thankful to those who helped him become the player, and person, he is today, but when all is said and done, it was difficult to make an impression when first-team opportunities were so scarce.

“In my opinion, I didn’t really get a chance to go and show what I was all about," he admits.

"Of course it was difficult at the time. Competition was strong and it was a period of transition under Mikel (Arteta). They were also in the hunt for the league. But as I keep on saying, it's about timing. Timing, luck, and having good people around you.”

Since his final appearance for the club, a handful of academy products have been given a push in the first-team, including Ethan Nwaneri, Myles Lewis-Skelly and the previously mentioned Max Dowman.

In fact, Arteta has given six different Arsenal academy graduates their first-team debuts this season alone.

“I believe that if I got the chance now, with what I can do and my ability, then things could have been different at Arsenal," says Patino.

“If you've got a really good manager who believes and trusts in you, who lets you go and play with freedom and confidence, then you will thrive. I feel like a lot of the players who are currently in the England set-up, and are playing in the Premier League, have had the trust and the confidence shown by other managers."

“I feel like my time will come at some point,” he adds. “It might be now, or in a year or two. Everything can happen in a short space of time. Football is a funny old game, and everything can change in the space of three, four, or five months. You’ve just got to keep working and the rest will take care of itself.”

Right now, Patino is part of a talented Deportivo La Coruna side that are pushing to make a long-awaited return to Spain’s top flight.

When his time at Arsenal was coming to its natural conclusion in the summer of 2024, an opportunity to play for a club that is deeply rooted in his family’s history presented itself. It was, in his words, a no-brainer.

Patino’s grandfather, who emigrated from Spain to London in the 1960s, was a lifelong Deportivo fan, and that bond was passed down to Charlie’s father, Julio, who was understandably emotional when his son arrived at the Galician club.

“Today you have made a dream come true,” he said on the day of his son’s contract signing. “My parents enthusiastically transmitted to me their feeling for the team of our city, the same one that I have transmitted to you.”

A two-hour flight from London to Galicia has become the norm for Julio, who attends the majority of home games at the Estadio Riazor.

He will watch from the stands as Charlie pays tribute to his grandfather, who sadly passed away before the Deportivo deal was agreed. “Every time I go onto the pitch, I touch the ground and look up to him to just say, ‘I'm going to do this for you’,” says Patino.

With three league games left to play, "Super Depo" are within touching distance of the promised land. They sit second in the Segunda, an automatic promotion spot, ahead of upcoming matches against Andorra, Valladolid and Las Palmas.

It has been a long time coming.

Twenty years after winning their first-ever La Liga title with cult names such as Roy Makaay, Pauleta and Lionel Scaloni, the club were relegated to Spain's third tier in 2020 and remained there for four consecutive seasons.

Still, the iconic blue and white managed to attract record-breaking crowds thanks to the famous Deportivismo – a multigenerational fan base known for its passion and loyalty. Patino’s short-term goal is to help them achieve promotion and make his family, as well as the supporters, proud.

“We’ve got three massive games left,” he says. “I want to help bring this club back into the top division, where they belong. We're on the right track and I've been involved in the majority of games this season. To have a big impact on the club's success would be amazing.”

"I've got a lot of support from the fans," adds Patino. "As long as I've got a lot of love and support from the fans and they can see I'm doing the right things on a day-to-day basis in the games whenever I'm needed, then that's all that matters to me. I'll keep pushing and keep fighting for the badge.”

As we enter the final weeks of the season, the midfielder has long-term ambitions, too. He wants to show the world his true potential.

“I take things day by day. I don’t want to look too far ahead, but I know my quality and where I can get to,” says Patino. “I want to be at the top of the game, playing for the biggest clubs and winning the biggest competitions.

“I'm very confident that one day I'll be in and around the national team. I have no doubt about it. There’s still a lot of learning and growing to do, but I feel like I’m on a good path. When I’m back playing week in, week out with full confidence and rhythm, I’ll be able to show everyone who the real Charlie Patino is.”

As we come to the end of our chat, the conversation has come full circle, with talk once again turning to Max Dowman and his breakthrough season at Arsenal.

There are plenty of similarities between Dowman and Patino. Both played above their age group, with the latter captaining England under-16s at the age of 14. Both have made over 30 appearances for their country at youth level, and both continue to play with hefty expectations on their shoulders.

Some believe Thomas Tuchel should give the 16-year-old a chance at this summer’s World Cup, while others are against the idea due to his age and lack of experience under such extreme pressure. Patino, meanwhile, wants one of football’s most-talked-about players to just go out there and enjoy every moment.

“If I had to give Max some advice, I’d say play with freedom and take every opportunity when it comes,” he says.

"There are a lot of things you can’t control. I can’t control picking the starting line-up, but I can control how I train every day and how I focus. That’s what I’d say to Max. Control the controllables and enjoy everything you do. Every journey is different. There will be ups and downs."