As a young player taking your chances is imperative if you want to succeed and Edward Nketiah is certainly doing just that.
The prolific forward has been hugely impressive for Arsenal at U18 level this season as he has found the net on 16 occasions and was rewarded for his excellent form when he was called into the U21 squad for the first time last week as the young Gunners faced Blackburn Rovers.
The 16-year-old almost made an instant impact as he came close to scoring in a difficult away fixture and he will hope for further involvement with the second string before the campaign’s denouement.
Previously on Chelsea’s books, Nketiah isn’t the strongest, but he is quick and tactically aware, while he also frequently drifts out to wide areas to good effect.
As a team Arsenal U18s have struggled for consistency in the second half of the season, but Nketiah has continued to perform to a very high standard and his progress has certainly been one of the plus points of the season at that level.
Nketiah will be seeking to follow the path trodden by another young striker, Stephy Mavididi, who scored frequently for the U18s last season and has now established himself as the club’s first-choice forward at U21 level.
Mavididi has also trained with the first-team and, with the club always open to giving young players an opportunity to impress, Nketiah will hope that his chance to make an impact at a higher level will arrive in due course.
Nketiah has already enjoyed a taste of success at Arsenal- he was part of the U17 side that won the Future Cup recently, fending off competition from the likes of Barcelona and Ajax in the process.
Now he will be seeking to achieve further glory with the Gunners and the forward could well have a prominent part to play in next season’s FA Youth Cup. Donyell Malen may be ahead of him in the pecking order, but Nketiah will surely receive at least some playing time in the famous competition next season and, if he does, you certainly wouldn’t bet against him finding the net.
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Jeorge Bird is the author of www.arsenalyouth.wordpress.com Follow him on Twitter @jeorgebird
with all his goals it is a bit of a surprise that he got no where near the FA Youth cup teams match day squad.
Mavididi, Nketiah and Malen.
One of these surely have to make it through.
My pick? Malen. There’s something about that kid. Has the X-Factor.
Totally co-sign bro! There’s just that thing about Malen!Just seeing his picture at first, I could see that fearless, Henryresque arrogance of a striker who cares nothing about who’s guarding the rear for the opposition team! Then I saw him play and knew I was right in seeing him as one for an undoubtable Glorious future with the Arsenal!
How old is he – Malen?
11
In base 16
All that is for the 2018-19 season. But for right now, we have a west ham problem. Let smash em and I will be happy. Great future ahead of these boys though
Well he looks happy in the picture ?
Yes. Let’s make we get him thru the ranks. Strikers are always needed at our club!
Can we have more of this stuff. I remember knowing a lot more about youth players ten, fifteen years back when the there was a lot less content around. With minimal effort and research on my part. Sometimes we have a youth player (not the Jeff, Bielek or Iwobi,) but somebody less prominent getting onto league cup benches and I have never heard of them. I only read Arseblog now really. The official site is dryer than a badger’s badger and a lot of other blogs are so negative/clickbait trash. And for my part I will read Jeorge Bird’s blog… Read more »
Watching under 21s with Jack and Thomas and loving Serge! It’s on Arseanal.com folks!
*Arsenal.com …getting over excited!
I love these articles about the youth setup. They put a lot of hope in the future of this club. I was wondering though, is there anyway we could get news on the Arsenal ladies too?