Arsenal held their final training of the season yesterday, with James Sweet one of the youngsters in attendance.
It was a fitting reward for Sweet, who has progressed very well at U18 level this campaign.
Usually a central midfielder or winger, he was deployed as a right wing-back at times and worked hard to develop defensively.
Called up by both Wales and England at youth level, Sweet still has some improvements to make but he is certainly a much better player overall than he was a year ago.
This season Sweet provided eight assists for the U18s, with his dangerous crosses causing all manner of problems for opponents.
Sweet also made his first appearance for Arsenal U23s in the Premier League Cup.
It is anticipated that the 18-year-old will be rewarded with a professional contract, which would mean that he would be a fully-fledged member of the U23 squad from next season.
If he does stay then Sweet’s versatility could prove to be very useful in terms of him getting playing time for the second-string.
A hard-working player with good technique, Sweet had problems with injuries last season but this campaign he has progressed extremely well.
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Jeorge Bird is the author of www.arsenalyouth.wordpress.com Follow him on Twitter @jeorgebird
He is Sweet.