Although Arsenal have signed their share of superstars, they also pride themselves on producing them.
The likes of Tony Adams, David O’Leary, Ashley Cole and Ray Parlor got their start at Hale End before going on to careers most players could only dream of.
Even today, the Gunners’ most important player and talisman, Bukayo Saka, is a product of a world-class academy, and Max Dowman looks like he could be next.
However, not all top-rated prospects fail to fulfill their potential, with Jack Wilshere perhaps being the most unfortunate example.
Fortunately, Mikel Arteta has another Hale Ender in his side who could become the player Wilshere was meant to be.
Wilshere’s Arsenal career
Before 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 make eight appearances that season, then seven in the first half of the following campaign before being sent on short-term loan to Bolton Wanderers, where he scored and assisted one goal in 14 games.
With this crucial experience, Arsène Wenger chose to give the young talent an important role within the team the following season, which saw him make 49 appearances in 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 virtually single-handedly dominated the Catalan midfield of Xavi, Andrés Iniesta and Sergio Busquets.
It was around this time that the then England manager compared Hale Ender to the young Andrea Pirlo. To say there were extremely high expectations around him would be an understatement.
It’s easy to see why many thought the Englishman would be an absolute world champion, as he had incredible close control, an eye for passing, the ability to carry the ball into the middle of the park and a perfect attitude.
However, shortly after his iconic match against Barca, the Gunners’ great hope began to suffer injury after injury, and from season 11/12 to 16/17, when he left north London, he missed a staggering 228 games for club and country.
Unfortunately, it was this inability to stay fit that completely derailed Wilshere’s career, as he possessed all the abilities one 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 meant to be.
The Arsenal star who could deliver on 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 team, and a second choice at that, but that is unlikely to be his long-term position.
After all, the Islington-born gem spent most of his time at the academy as a central or defensive midfielder, and when he moves into the first team, he doesn’t overlap; it reverses in the central zone.
Additionally, his best traits, which he shares with the former Gunners star, allow him to become a world-class central player.
For example, although he is still relatively inexperienced, he has always demonstrated a brilliant eye for a pass and an exquisite left foot to match.
Additionally, like Saka, the 19-year-old is much stronger than he appears and regularly wins physical duels against opposing players.
Finally, like Wilshere, the young dynamo is already an excellent ball carrier, and undoubtedly ranks among the best on the team when it comes to doing so in a crowded midfield.
This was on full display against Atlético Madrid last month, when he beat half the team to provide an assist for Gabriel Martinelli to make it 2-0.
On top of all this, Hale Ender also shares a similar approach and attitude towards games.
For example, his goal and celebration against Manchester City last season largely confirms 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 dubbed him a “future captain”.
Ultimately, there is still a long way to go, but with his impressive abilities, skills and mentality, there is a good chance that Lewis-Skelly will become the player Wilshere was meant to be.
