Bukayo Saka has been a revelation for Arsenal since his promotion from the famous Hale End academy in 2019.
Despite the club’s poor performances that have led to back-to-back finishes in eighth position, Saka has been the brightest spark for the Gunners and is regarded as one of the most important players at the club.
The Englishman turned 20 on Sunday and has already emphatically made his mark, with 92 appearances in red and white.
This is symmetrical to Theo Walcott, who made the same amount of appearances for Arsenal before turning 20 and he was also a winger equipped with blistering pace and an unreachable ceiling.
They were also both called up to represent England in a major tournament before the end of their teenage years.
It was a shock to the nation when a 17-year-old Walcott was selected in England’s 2006 World Cup squad, while Saka’s inclusion in Gareth Southgate’s Euro 2020 party was not quite so leftfield.
He thrived in the competition, becoming a regular starter and having a major part to play for England’s equalising goal against Denmark in the semi-finals. By contrast, Walcott failed to get off the bench in Germany and injuries frequently frustrated his major tournament hopes from that point.
Walcott, who signed from Southampton at 16, had raw talent but missed the assertiveness and confidence that has long been evident in Saka.
The academy graduate is in the top five for appearances made for Arsenal before turning 20, meaning he is above Arsenal legends such as David Rocastle and Liam Brady.
Cesc Fabregas tops the list by some margin with 151 appearances during his teenage years after signing from Barcelona in 2003.
Since Saka’s debut in 2018 he has contributed to 12 goals and 21 assists. This is very impressive considering that the 20-year-old has been deployed as a left-back and a left-wing back on 23 occasions.
After his breakthrough season in 2019/20, where he scored five goals and made 11 assists, he was rewarded with a new long-term contract and handed the number seven shirt - a jersey he has worn with pride as he attempts to follow in the footsteps of the late, great Rocastle.
Cliff Bastin, David O’Leary, Stewart Robson and Fabregas were the only players to make more appearances than Saka as a teenager, but the winger has all the credentials and ability to eclipse these players in terms of legendary status at the club.
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