Rio Ngumoha must obey strict Premier League rule Max Dowman is exempt from for another 467 days

Liverpool youngster Rio Ngumoha must now follow a strict Premier League rule after turning 18, while Max Dowman remains exempt.

Given the developments surrounding JJ Gabriel’s potential Manchester United exit, the Premier League’s youngsters have never attracted more interest from supporters.

Of the many teenagers plying their trade in English football’s top flight, Liverpool and Arsenal wingers Ngumoha and Dowman are arguably the hottest prospects, having already proven exactly what they can do at the highest level.

As a 16-year-old, Ngumoha netted a last-gasp winner away to Newcastle United, further raising his stock, while Dowman became the youngest player to score in Premier League history, netting in a 2-0 win over Everton when he was 16 years and 73 days old.

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While Dowman does not turn 17 until December 31 of this year, Ngumoha, who has been called up to Thomas Tuchel’s England squad ahead of the October international break, celebrated his 18th birthday on August 29.

Rio Ngumoha to follow strict Premier League rule after 18th birthday

Now that Ngumoha is a legal adult, the rules that apply to him have changed, while they remain in place for Dowman.

Dowman is not allowed to change in the dressing room with his teammates due to safeguarding rules and must be provided with an alternative area, while Ngumoha can now join his Liverpool colleagues in the dressing room after turning 18.

Clubs must also ensure that players under the age of 18 have a designated shower room monitored by official chaperones from the club’s safeguarding team, provided the chaperones are DBS-registered.

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Dowman is also not permitted to wear equipment with gambling sponsors printed on it, while Arsenal must ensure that he is kept away from alcohol if senior players are consuming it, although this is unlikely in the first place.

Max Dowman is exempt from a strict Premier League rule (Credit:GettyImages)

The 16-year-old is also exempt from the 10-second substitution rule. The rule was introduced ahead of the 2026/27 Premier League campaign and is designed to speed up the tempo of play.

Players aged 18 or over, including Ngumoha, are expected to leave the field at the nearest point. Failure to do so can delay the substitution for a minute, forcing the team to play with 10 men.

The substitute then has to stay off the field until the next break in play. However, players under the age of 18 are advised to leave at the halfway line near the dugouts for safeguarding reasons.

Dowman is exempt from the aforementioned rule until he turns 18 in 467 days’ time.

Mikel Arteta on Max Dowman’s future

Arsenal head coach Arteta discussed Dowman’s future earlier this week, explaining how the club evaluates his progress every six months while also admitting the Gunners may be open to loaning the teenager in order for him to gain first-team experience.

“We haven't really listened to any of the [loan] possibilities because we were clear that we want to have him in the squad, that we wanted him to be part of the pre-season,” he said.

“I'm going to start to see where we are from there. We will evaluate every six months where we are, what is the best thing for him to do and from there make the right decisions.

“It will depend on a lot of factors: what he needs, where the team is as well, the availability that we have in the squad, the amount of minutes that he's playing, the quality he's delivering when he's got those minutes.

“We have to be open, but now the focus is to be here and impact the team.

“There have been many cases of that age that they've gone [on loan] and they've been successful, some others not. Particularly, I think I was 17 when I went to Paris [Saint-Germain].

“Depending on the atmosphere that you find there, how much the coach believes in you, you go there just to be part of a squad, not to play minutes.

“Which country? Depends. But now he's in a great place. He's in a good place right now and let's keep him here.”