Arsenal boss Jonas Eidevall says he is not surprised at all by the form of Gunners forward Michelle Agyemang at the U17s Euros.
Agyemang, who has just turned 17, has been a regular in the match day squad for the senior team this season, scoring her first senior goal against Leeds in January.
She finished as the second top scorer in the Academy league despite only playing half the games and she now has four goals in two games for England at the U17s Euros.
Eidevall says the club has a development plan for Agyemang and other young players who have been around the first team this season, like Katie Reid, Maddison Earl, Laila Harbert, Freya Gregory and Ruby Doe.
“Michelle and many other players involved in that age group, we have regular contact during the year because they are practicing with us on a weekly basis.
“We are speaking to them all about long-term development plans and what the next good step is for them, in time, to develop into a first-team player at Arsenal.
“Michelle and some of the others have great potential to do so. I have been really happy seeing her development during the whole season.”
Clinical. 💪
Michelle Agyemang scored twice in our #YoungLionesses #U17WEURO win over Poland.
— Lionesses (@Lionesses) May 16, 2023
Agyemang has had to miss the run-in with the senior team due to the U17s Euros and Eidevall insists that it is no surprise to see her dominating the tournament.
“Her performances now in the U-17s doesn’t surprise me. She has a technical and tactical level but also a physical level in her game that is just as good on the senior level.
“So, of course, when you see her in the U-17 level, she will really outmatch some of her opponents.”
Meanwhile, Eidevall refuted the idea that the women’s football needs fewer games to alleviate the epidemic of high profile knee injuries but says more thought needs to be put into how the calendar is constructed.
“It is going one way, we have more games and more competitive games and we are not going to have fewer games. So we just need to think about how best to do it so we can prepare players individually.
“I don’t think we want to slow the development of the game, we just need to think a little bit about how to prepare for it. The development of women’s football is not going to come by playing fewer games.
“We have a league in England with 12 teams, that is not a lot of teams when you look at providing professional platforms for English players.
“If we have 16 teams in the future, how many more opportunities would that provide and for the game to spread geographically in the country?
“Obviously that means more games and you have to think how you cope with that, on the men’s side they are better able to cope with that. We just have to think about how fast we are going in that direction so players and teams are able to cope with it.”
“she now has three goals in two games for England at the U17s Euros”
I believe Michelle scored two goals in both games.
England are through to the semifinals. Who tops the group depends on the match against France tomorrow: 11am kick off on the BBC website.
Great to see another arsenal prospect COYG
In the Poland game Michelle Agyemang looked like an adult playing with and against teenagers! I hope, assuming she goes on loan next season, that it is to a really good club with a proper footballing philosophy where she will have to fight to get starts. I actually think the worst thing for her would be to go somewhere where she is put straight into the first team, even if it means more minutes. She has the ability, the instinct, and all the physical attributes. She has a swagger, an arrogance about her that a top striker needs. Even has… Read more »
Wow. Definite woman against girls vibe here. Could be special.
Loved her drop of the shoulder for that first goal. And the finish for both of them, first rifling it into the top of the net, and then executing a powerful toe poke with the outside of the boot. She looks a bit special this one. I hope she stays fit and reaches her full potential! COYG
Freya Gregory is a Villa player. You mixed her and Freya Godfrey up.
Fantastic player – could be our female Gomis/Drogba
Her senior goal against Leeds. Is that the one at the end of a one-sided thrashing when brought on as a sub? If I remember correctly, the ball came towards her off a post, two defenders came to face her, she executed a body swerve which moved them both out of the way, and sat one of them down, before calmly stroking the ball home. I remember commentators raving when Beth Mead did something similar, albeit against better opposition. But it showed that our Michelle has a great future, let’s hope it’s with our team.