Were there world class footballers born on the 10th of October, 1997, one might ask? The world might never know. However, we do know for certain that Kieran Dowell, a midfielder of some repute, was born on this date. Armed with a physique of 6ft 1in (1.86m) and a weight of 11st (70kg), Dowell currently graces the Scottish Premiership for the Rangers, where he executes his midfield theatrics in the number 20 jersey.
Tracing his roots back to July 2014 when he joined Everton in the English Premier League as a wet behind the ears trainee, Dowell got an appreciable taste of top-level football in the 2015-2016 season at Everton, impressing the crowd with two first-team appearances in league matches. However, one questions whether such an experience amounts to enough 'taste' for a player's debut season.
In August 2017, Dowell swapped his Toffees shirt for that of Nottingham Forest on a season-long loan. Did his career finally ignite in spectacular fashion? Well, with 38 first team appearances and a decent tally of nine league goals to his name in the 2017-2018 season, one might be tempted to answer in the affirmative.
Having returned to Everton, he was offloaded once again to Sheffield United in January 2019 on another temporary deal, convincing Blades fans over a period of 16 appearances and two league goals. Come July 2019, he moved to Derby County on loan, grossing ten first-team appearances in one season before moving to Wigan Athletic in January 2020, scoring five goals in 12 league matches.
Dowell's nomadic life at last found some sort of permanence when he transferred from Everton to Norwich City in July 2020 for the princely sum of £2m. Starved of quality service in the middle, Norwich City fans hoped Dowell could be their creative spark, and he made 24, 19, and 23 appearances in the 2020-2021, 2021-2022, and 2022-2023 seasons respectively, scoring a combined total of 11 goals.
In July 2023, Dowell hopped over the border from England to Scotland, signing up for Rangers in the Scottish Premiership. With 12 appearances and two goals in the 2023-2024 season, and an additional five appearances in the ongoing 2024-2025 season, he's yet to set the heather alight in Scottish football. As for his run in the League Cup, Champions League qualifiers, and Europa League for the 2024-2025 season, he's yet to stamp his authority on these competitions either – with just one start and two substitute appearances respectively.
