Four years old, Arsenal? Four? That’s insane
Every club is on the lookout for the next big thing in football, and Arsenal seem to think they have found a gem. The thing is, he is still at nursery.
The four-year-old was first spotted while at pre-school and according to the BBC , the Gunners were first made aware of the talented youngster after he was the star player on the pitch against players almost twice his age.
Austin Schofield, a coach at the First Touch Football Academy – where Arsenal discovered him – has explained just how good he is.
He said: “We put him obviously with his age range with the four, five, six-year-olds, and already he was just head and shoulders above everyone.
“Just a lot quicker than them and a lot more willing to go and get the ball. The way he kicks a ball, the way he passes the ball was so much better than everyone else. So then we progressed him on.
“I spoke to his dad and he wanted to try him with the older ones. So I thought, ‘Why not? See how he gets on.'”
It seems like it isn’t just talk either. Footage on the child’s Instagram account shows his talent and Arsenal talent scout Stephen Deans believes his ability is far beyond his age.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CSxGyC5hqYe/?utm_source=ig_embed
“The kid is doing something that he shouldn’t be doing” he said as per via Boss Hunting.
“The way he’s striking the ball… it just looked too sharp for someone that age. So I called my friend and he just said, ‘Look, he’s four.’ I said, ‘No way, he’s not. He can’t be in nursery. I need to speak to his parents.
“And from there, now we’re here. Brought him into a few of our sessions as well and he’s actually been doing it in real-time, so it wasn’t a one-off. He’s been doing it consistently.”
His dad also knew there was something different about his son from the moment from the very first day.
He said: “I realised the moment he was born.
“I remember the nurse put him on his stomach and he literally lifted his head up and started looking around. Even she was shocked.
“You could tell he was very strong from a very young age and yeah that kind of set the tone for his upbringing.”
With skills like that, it’s well worth saying keep an eye on this talent.
Related links:
- Paul Merson says Arsenal could make the Top Four this season
- Arsene Wenger claims Mohamed Salah is the best striker in the world
- An ode to Karim: Why Benzema deserves a Ballon d’Or
