While Arsenal have signed their fair share of superstars, they’ve also got a proud history of producing them.
The likes of Tony Adams, David O’Leary, Ashley Cole, and Ray Parlour got their start at Hale End before going on to have careers that most players could only dream of.
Even today, the Gunners’ most important player and talisman, Bukayo Saka, is a product of the world-class academy, and Max Dowman looks like he could be the next one up.
However, not every highly rated prospect goes on to fulfil their potential, with Jack Wilshere perhaps being the most unfortunate example of that.
Fortunately, Mikel Arteta has another Hale Ender in his side who could go on to become the player Wilshere was supposed to be.
Wilshere’s Arsenal career
Before the likes of Ethan Nwaneri and Dowman, Wilshere held the title of Arsenal’s youngest league debutant thanks to his appearance against Blackburn Rovers in September 2008.
The youngster would go on to make eight appearances that season and then seven in the first half of the next campaign before he was sent out on a short-term loan to Bolton Wanderers, where he scored and assisted a goal in 14 games.
With this vital experience, Arsène Wenger opted to give the teenage talent a significant role in the side the following season, which saw him make 49 appearances across all competitions, scoring two goals and providing nine assists.
It was this campaign that saw him deliver his famous performance against Pep Guardiola’s legendary Barcelona side, in which he practically single-handedly outplayed the Catalans’ midfield of Xavi, Andrés Iniesta, and Sergio Busquets.
It was around this time that the then-England manager compared the Hale Ender to a young Andrea Pirlo, so to say that there were sky-high expectations around him would be an understatement.
It’s easy to see why many thought the Englishman would be an absolute world-beater, though, as he had incredible close control, an eye for a pass, the ability to carry the ball through the middle of the park, and the perfect attitude.
However, not long after his iconic game against Barça, the Gunners’ great hope began to suffer injury after injury, and from the 11/12 season to 16/17, when he left North London, he missed a staggering 228 games for club and country.
Unfortunately, it was this inability to remain fit that utterly derailed Wilshere’s career, as he had all the ability someone would need to become one of the best midfielders in the world.
The only positive for Arsenal fans is that Arteta now has someone in his squad who could become the player Wilshere was supposed to be.
The Arsenal star who could fulfil Wilshere’s promise
While fans might immediately think of Nwaneri or Dowman in this situation, the Hale Ender who could end up becoming the player Wilshere was supposed to be is actually Myles Lewis-Skelly.
Yes, the youngster is currently seen as a left-back in Arteta’s squad, and the second-choice one at that, but that is unlikely to be his long-term position.
After all, the Islington-born gem spent most of his time in the academy playing as a central or defensive midfielder, and when he does come into the first team, he does not overlap; he inverts in the central area.
Moreover, his best traits, which he shares with the former Gunners star, lend themselves to becoming a world-class central player.
For example, although he’s still relatively inexperienced, he has consistently demonstrated a brilliant eye for a pass and an exquisite left foot to match.
On top of that, in a similar fashion to Saka, the 19-year-old is far stronger than he appears and consistently wins physical duels against opposition players.
Finally, like Wilshere, the young dynamo is already an excellent carrier of the ball, and is unoutbaly among the best in the squad when it comes to doing it through a congested midfield.
This was on full display against Atlético Madrid last month, when he beat half the side to provide a perfect assist for Gabriel Martinelli to make 2-0.
In addition to all this, the Hale Ender also shares a similar approach and attitude towards games.
For example, his goal and celebration against Manchester City last term more than back up Declan Rice’s description of him as “fearless”, and when you combine that with everything else, it’s easy to see why club insider Hand of Arsenal has dubbed him a “future captain.”
Ultimately, there is still a long way to go, but thanks to his impressive ability, skill set and mentality, there is a strong chance Lewis-Skelly could become the player Wilshere was supposed to be.
