Arsenal Mikel Arteta has earmarked Eddie Nketiah for a leading role in his future plans.
He has branded the young striker an “extraordinary” talent and tipped him to be the man to help take his side to the “next level” in the future.
But it could have been a very different story for the young striker.
Nketiah, 21, was released by Chelsea for being too small when he was just 14 but quickly found his way to Arsenal.
Eventually, he was handed a scholarship and later professional terms as he went from strength to strength.
Yet former academy manager Andries Jonker has recalled how he caused a debate amongst coaches as a 16-year-old as they considered releasing a teenage Nketiah.
Jonker told Mirror Football: “Nketiah was a different story, it wasn’t so easy to see.
“He was working hard and in fact there was a discussion in the staff about whether or not to give him a scholarship.
“His mentality was the thing that made us decide to give him a chance as a scholar, but he had to go a long way.
“I always told him, ‘believe in yourself. If you don’t believe in yourself, no-one will believe in you at Arsenal’.
“Now he has made it from a not so remarkable youth player to a first-team player which is not an easy thing to do.
“It’s another example of how the fact that it’s almost impossible to be sure about young players - are they going to make it or not?
“Eddie proved the opposite, and although many people had big doubt he did it all the way.”
