Arsenal’s renowned Hale End academy has produced a staggering number of young players who have gone on to play for the Gunners’ first team.
Alumni such as Ashley Cole, Jack Wilshere, and now Bukayo Saka have all played important roles in the North London club’s various generations, with the academy more than living up to its reputation.
Wilshere was hailed as one of the brightest talents to emerge from Hale End, and he became Arsenal’s youngest-ever Premier League player in 2008, at the age of 16 years and 256 days, before Ethan Nwaneri broke that record last year.
The Englishman went on to play nearly 200 matches for the club, though it would have been more if he hadn’t suffered from a variety of injuries, scoring 14 goals, and it remains a career that was left unfinished once he moved past his promising start.
Indeed, the club may have another talent in the academy, 16-year-old Myles Lewis-Skelly, who could have a similar impact as Wilshere by breaking into the first team at such a young age.
Is Lewis-Skelly the next Hale End gem to break into Arsenal’s starting lineup?
The young midfielder has agreed to sign a scholar contract with Arsenal that will keep him at the club until 2025, after which he will be eligible to sign a professional contract.
The youngster has played 14 matches across the academy’s U18 and U21 sides, proving he is more than capable of competing with players a few years his senior. He has also contributed six goals, which is impressive for a midfielder.
He, like Wilshere, plays in central midfield, though he is usually deployed slightly deeper. Based on his attacking contributions, he enjoys roaming forward whenever possible.
His average Sofascore rating in two Football League Trophy matches was 6.55/10, but this experience would have been invaluable for Lewis-Skelly.
