Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain says he took a keen interest in Cohen Bramall when he spotted the Hednesford Town trialist training with the Arsenal first team before Christmas.
The England international was undergoing a fitness session separate from his teammates when he learned about the left-back and admits he was inspired by the 20-year-old’s back-story.
Speaking to Arsenal Player about his first meeting with Bramall, who signed for Arsenal today, Chamberlain revealed:
“I was training on the side of the pitch with the fitness coach. So I was looking over and then I saw him training, so I asked someone about him and they me a story and obviously it made me think wow… to be where he was a couple of weeks ago, and then to be training with the Arsenal first team, I was thinking he must be in dreamland over there.
“I paid close attention to him and saw some really good signs of things – you can see why we wanted to sign him.
“I was very encouraged by his story and quite inspired to see someone that’s been given that opportunity and he was proving himself and holding his own. It was great, and then I chatted to him after training and he was just a really good lad and a top boy. He was generally just delighted and surprised at the same time, to be in the position that he was.
“He was really humble about it as well, which is always nice to see. Straightaway he seemed like somebody I wanted to help, and wanted to see do well.”
Despite the temptation to play up Bramall as a bright prospect, Arsenal appear eager to take the pressure off the kid by insisting he’ll start his Gunners career working with Steve Gatting’s under-23s. It’s probably for the best given the jump he’s about to make…
There’s a chance for me yet, im only 32, have 2 dodgy knees but im a super sub for my 5 a side team
And when i say super, i actually mean crap 🙂
Have you boots?
I think Chamberlain can focus on helping himself than trying to help a new player who probably doesn’t need his help.
What a miserable thing to say.
I would really like to see someone like Kos (who has worked his way up form the lower leagues in France) take the lad under his wing
Lovin’ the title of this post, maybe I’m dyslexic or something by I read it as Chamberlain eager to ‘humble Bramall’ – as if he wasn’t humble enough!
Haaaaaaay this why I love Arsenal! What an amazing story. Just like the rise of the Arsenal! ?
Same. Meritocracy, professionalism, and overall, just genuine goodness in character. Everything we wish an enlightened society to be, but we cannot find it, and so I look for it in football clubs instead. Such is the way of our contemporary world.
Any idea how much this kid is earning now? Must be way higher than his factory job..? What a dream come true
It’d be a dream come true if i could have half my salary and play for the Arsenal
£2000 per week?
Truly a dream come true–3k/week is what the news are what they’re reporting, which is surely going to help him and his family.
People who have salaries and enough to make by might forget what it’s like to be 20 and laid off from a job–your confidence is shattered and literally you can fear for your survival (still an exaggeration, but such is the stigma we place on ‘unproductive’ members of society). What a break for him, wishing all the best.
hope learning from Chamberlain does not include dribbling straight into opposing players and spraying wayward passes in midfield.
There’s always one.
Okay, apparently there’s more than one. This is a great story, a young kid given a fantastic opportunity that all of us can only dream about, being helped by one of the established first team players, and all some cynical fucks can do is shit all over it. Sad.
I found it quite funny. Maybe you just took it too seriously.
Quite frankly I also hope he doesn’t pick up bad habits.
Next thing, Wenger will see him in center midfield.
First, someone needs to help The Ox.
Ox needs to help himself first
We have a good blend of success buying in the market at both premium price now and at bargain prices. Wenger has also been very decent bringing in players from the academy with Bellerin and Wiobi but also Coquelin recent examples. Wenger is first and foremost respected for developing players. We’ve seen this with Henry who flattered to deceive at Juventus regardless of ‘potential’ He’s successfully switched players into new positions with Santi, Kolo, RVP, Arteta and of course Henry But also he has been successful pushing players like Ozil, Alexis into more rounded players which is why the likes… Read more »