One of the Premier League’s most exciting talents, Bukayo Saka has been at Arsenal since he was seven years old and the Gunners forward reflects on his story.
Bukayo Saka reflects on his football career as Arsenal prepare for the North London derby. The Gunners will be desperate to extend their advantage at the top of the Premier League on Sunday.
The 24-year-old winger has been part of Arsenal’s set-up since joining the club’s prestigious Hale End Academy aged just seven. Since those early days, Saka has developed into one of manager Mikel Arteta’s most important players, regularly wearing the captain’s armband on the pitch.
The Ealing-born maestro made his Arsenal debut around 12 months before Arteta took over. Now, after almost six seasons under the Gunners manager, Saka has transformed into one of England’s top players.
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Throughout his professional career, Saka remained loyal to only one club: Arsenal. Despite impressive success in the Premier League and European competitions, the club’s No. 7 remains rooted in its humble beginnings.
Speaking to BBC Sport’s Kelly Summers, Saka said: “I was playing with my brother and dad in the backyard. It was actually two-on-one. It was me and they were both older than me.”
“I never give up. I didn’t accept it. I cried and did everything, and it started at a young age.”
When asked about his first memories, Saka says without hesitation: “Greenford Celtic. I remember everything, from the kit to the game. The kit was green with white stripes, kind of like the Celtic logo.”
“We used to play in the local park after the game and our boots were completely covered in mud and we had to bang them against trees. That’s proper football.
“I remember everything. It was a really important chapter in my life and it was a lot of fun.”
Saka was asked about the moment he realized he could pursue a professional career in soccer. He said, “You can be humble and believe that you are good.
“There’s nothing wrong with either of us, and I think it’s okay for us both to be together. I think I’ve thought that since I was little, but I’ve never thought about it like that.
“I was just having fun playing the game and being good at it, so that made it even more fun.”
Choosing the right club is one of the most important decisions for young football players. It’s a decision that has the power to define your entire career.
But Saka’s choice will always be Arsenal. he continued. “I remember my dad telling me that you were scouted because you were different…You have a scout card, and the scouts will come and watch you at their local team…and they gave my dad the card and said, ‘Call us, we’ll take you to court.'”
“So I remember the first time I came to Hale End, that was my first test. I didn’t feel any fear. I was just like, ‘I’m just going to play football, I’m just going to have fun’ and I played really well.”
“I think I had a trial with the B team. I played really well so they put me in the A team, I signed from there and I’ve been at Arsenal ever since.”
“Yeah (it was always Arsenal). Well, at that point in my career, the decision was more of my parents making it. You’re just a kid, you don’t really know, you know what I’m saying? My dad told me very clearly, ‘Arsenal is the club I want you to’, and I said, ‘Okay, let’s go.’
This Sunday, Saka will aim to do what every rising star from Arsenal’s academy dreams of – defeating Tottenham Hotspur in the north London derby.
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