Arsenal teenager Bukayo Saka has received a lot of praise following his performance for England against the Czech Republic on Tuesday night.
From ITV pundits Ian Wright and Gary Neville to rival supporters on social media, the teenager certainly made the most of a somewhat surprising start for the Three Lions in their 1-0 win at Wembley Stadium.
Despite not getting on the scoresheet or claiming the assist for Raheem Sterling’s goal, Saka was a constant threat throughout his time on the pitch, earning the man of the match award in the process.
Whilst the rest of England may have stood up and taken notice of the 19-year-old on Tuesday, one man who always believed in Saka is former Arsenal head coach Unai Emery.
In fact, Saka thanked the Spaniard after signing his new contract at the Emirates Stadium last year.
“For starters, I just want to say I have to mention Unai Emery because of the amount he believed in me,” Saka said. “The opportunities he gave me. I’ll forever be grateful for them.
“And then of course, Freddie Ljungberg, who’s always gone out of his way to advise me and make sure I’m improving everyday.
“These are the coaches I played under before, and then Mikel, he’s amazing.
“He manages to give so much detail while at the same time being so clear.”
And it’s thanks to Emery that Mikel Arteta gets to coach Arsenal’s ‘next Cesc Fabregas’.
The nickname is based on Saka’s breakout season in 2019/20 when the academy graduate matched a club record that had stood for 13 years.
His assist in the 3-2 win over Everton in February 2020 saw him become the first Arsenal teenager since Fabregas to reach double figures for assists in a single season.
The summer window is officially open, and it’s going to be tough to keep up with the comings and goings in and out of the Emirates.
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What’s even more impressive about that feat is the fact that it was not a fluke.
In a difficult 2020/21 season for Arsenal, Saka still managed to weigh in with 10 assists across all competitions and that’s despite playing in a variety of positions.
So it’s largely down to Emery’s decision to hand Saka his first-team debut during the 2018/19 season as to why Arteta has the chance to nurture Arsenal’s next superstar.