'Huge personality': Mikel Arteta says Arsenal have a 'really solid' youngster in their ranks; could play tonight
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Arsenal have made a real name for themselves in recent years as a club that gives youth a chance.
While Bukayo Saka is the best player to come through the Gunners academy in recent years, there are more players who could soon follow suit.
On Wednesday night, Arsenal take on Preston North End in the Carabao Cup, and there’s a good chance Mikel Arteta will play some academy graduates.
Speaking at his pre-match presser on Tuesday, Arteta spoke about a youngster with a “huge personality” who has “earned the right” to feature for the seniors.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta says Myles Lewis-Skelly has “the qualities that we want”
The player in question is Myles Lewis-Skelly, who has made his breakthrough this season and is now firmly in the first-team picture.
The 18-year-old has already made five first-team appearances this term, including two in the Champions League, and got 14 minutes under his belt against Liverpool.
Arteta was asked what he had seen from Lewis-Skelly for him to be played in such big games.
“First of all a huge personality,” he said, as per football.london. “He doesn't care. He plays with full belief, with a lot of commitment.
“He's got the qualities that we want in that position to play outside, to play inside. Defensively he's a really solid player and he really wants it.
“When a player is like this I don't care if he's from the academy or whatever, he's earned the right to play those games.”
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Lewis-Skelly breakthrough a welcome boost for injury-hit Arsenal
Arsenal have gone through a personnel crisis at the back in recent weeks, and Riccardo Calafiori remains on the sidelines.
There was also an injury scare for Jurrien Timber against Liverpool, though Arteta has since revealed that he’s fine and was just “very tired”.
Arteta was also without William Saliba at the weekend, due to his sending-off against Bournemouth a week earlier.
With that in mind, it’s good to see Lewis-Skelly making such an impact, and his breakthrough is not only great from a perspective of seeing a youth player show he has a huge future, but also that he can fill in for more established senior players.
