How Arsenal’s Hale End academy is setting the Gunners up for success AND teeing England up for World Cup glory
ARSENAL’S Hale End academy might not just hold the keys to long-term success for the Gunners, but could also be the secret ingredient to England finally ending 60 years of hurt.
The Gunners academy has long been one of the best in the country, producing players such as Jack Wilshere, Theo Walcott, Tony Adams and Martin Keown for club and country.
While more recently Bukayo Saka has become one of the first names on the teamsheet for England, and a regular contender for Premier League player of the season.
Now Arsenal are nurturing four new gems that could be the future of both England and Arsenal after shining on international duty over the past two weeks.
Myles Lewis-Skelly, Ethan Nwaneri, Max Dowman and Tommy Setford have the potential to form the spine of an England team that can guide the Three Lions to their first taste of success since 1966.
Lewis-Skelly became England’s youngest ever debutant goalscorer last Friday when he got on the end of a cutting Jude Bellingham pass to put England 1-0 up against Albania in the World Cup qualifiers.
The 18-year-old was named Player of the Match for his eye-catching performance, and was given the nod for his second cap without hesitation by Thomas Tuchel on Monday against Latvia.
Tuchel has already “fallen in love” with the youngster from watching him in training over the course of a week.
He came into camp and showed straight away that it’s so normal to fall in love with him. He’s a top player. Amazing character and well deserved
Thomas Tuchel
While Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has shown his faith in the teenager by handing him 16 starts for the first team this season – including in games against Tottenham, Man City and Man Utd.
Many thought that Lewis-Skelly’s best mate Ethan Nwaneri might be called up to the England first team during the international break too, but Tuchel opted against taking a risk on the rising star.
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Instead Nwaneri was given his first call-up to Lee Carsley‘s U21s side, having already represented England at U16, U17 and U19 in the past.
The attacking midfielder, 18, took that opportunity exactly as you would imagine – netting a goal on his full debut in a win over Portugal.
It was a familiar sight, a delightful body feint to shift the ball on to his left peg and a curling effort found the corner.
Arsenal fans have seen Nwaneri do that multiple times already this season, in what is becoming something of a trademark move for the teen who has eight first team goals for the Gunners this term.
Lee Carsley gushed about the youngster’s debut goal, saying: “Everyone knows exactly what’s going to happen but you cannot stop it.
“He took his goal so well, but what we have to keep remembering is he’s 18. It’s unbelievable.”
It’s not unreasonable to think that will have been Nwaneri’s first and last goal for the England U21 side.
Should he continue his form, Nwaneri could well be a mainstay in the England first team for years to come – especially given Thomas Tuchel’s displeasure at his current wingers.
You would have to either be living under a rock or be a Tottenham fan to have avoided the conversation around how Lewis-Skelly and Nwaneri can be the future of England and Arsenal in recent weeks.
But there’s a little bit less being said about 15-year-old Max Dowman even though the kid is tipped to be a world beater and has been dubbed “the next Kaka”.
Dowman spent the international break with the England U17s, where he played three games and registered a goal contribution in each one – including a spectacular solo run and finish against Northern Ireland.
The midfield maestro has already made history by becoming the youngest player to score in the Uefa Youth League at the age of 14 years, 8 months and 19 days this season.
He regularly trains with the Arsenal first team and was even taken to Dubai for the Gunners’ mid-season training camp, where he has certainly caught the eye of Declan Rice.
Rice said this week: “Just wait until he hopefully gets into the team, the lads get to see him, because he is a special talent.
“Max is the best 15-year-old in the country. I have had so many texts about Max recently where people have watched him and said: ‘Wow, what a talent’. So he is one to watch out for.”
That wait is going to continue, with Dowman unable to play for the Gunners in the Prem due to age restrictions stating that a player must have turned 15 before August 31, 2024 to play in the league.
Dowman has already earned a reputation at youth level and, similarly to Jack Wilshere and Jack Grealish, is often on the receiving end of kicks from opposing players struggling to get close to him.
It seems almost inevitable that, on his current trajectory, Dowman will be part of the England senior team at some point in his career.
Arsenal’s youth ranks don’t stop there either.
Goalkeeper Tommy Setford, who is being guided through the ranks with the Gunners since a move from Ajax in the summer, is another name that could make the grade for England.
Setford, 19, has been playing with the Young Lions at U16, U17, U18 and now U19 level where he extended a run of three consecutive clean sheets for his country against Portugal on Tuesday.
The Netherlands-born shot-stopper even kept a clean sheet for the Arsenal first team earlier this season when he made his debut at just 18 against Preston North End in the Carabao Cup.
England could be set for a spine through their team that has come entirely from the Hale End academy.
Setford in goal, Lewis-Skelly in defence, Dowman playing ahead of him in midfield and Nwaneri offering the attacking threat up top.
Of course, that is an ambitious dream that Arsenal fans and academy coaches themselves will tell you is unlikely to happen any time soon if at all.
But with the way the four young stars are performing at present, you certainly can’t rule it out as a possibility.