Okonkwo impresses after signing professional contract

Talented Arsenal goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo signed his first professional contract yesterday and he celebrated by producing an impressive performance as the U18s beat Southampton 1-0 today.

A product of Arsenal’s Hale End academy, Okonkwo is very highly regarded by Arsenal, as evidenced by the fact that he trained with the first-team on several occasions last season when he was still a schoolboy, while he has frequently been named on the bench for the U23s this campaign.

Okonkwo saved a penalty and kept a clean sheet against Southampton as Kwame Ampadu’s side bounced back from the defeat that they suffered against Chelsea a fortnight ago.

The mass exodus of young goalkeepers at Arsenal in the summer – Hugo Keto, Joao Virginia and Alex Crean left permanently while Matt Macey departed on loan – has been hugely beneficial for Okonkwo.

Although Karl Jakob Hein, another impressive young shot-stopper, has joined the club, Okonkwo is firmly established as the first-choice for the U18s and the main backup to Deyan Iliev for the U23s.

It seems very likely that Okonkwo will make his debut for the older age group at some point this season and, all the while, he is continuing to gain valuable experience representing the U18s.

Okonkwo possesses superb reflexes, although, admittedly, there are occasionally times when he rushes out to try and claim the ball unnecessarily.

That is certainly something that Okonkwo will be seeking to improve upon but, overall, the signs are extremely encouraging regarding his development.

Had the aforementioned goalkeepers remained at the club, Okonkwo certainly wouldn’t have been as close to featuring for the U23s as he currently is and it is now up to him to make the most of the excellent opportunity that he has been afforded.

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Jeorge Bird is the author of www.arsenalyouth.wordpress.com Follow him on Twitter @jeorgebird