The 16-year-old has been one of the shining lights of the Gunners' run to the FA Youth Cup final, and has already trained with the first team
There were just seconds left of extra-time when Myles Lewis-Skelly set off on one last run forward against Manchester City in the FA Youth Cup semi-final.
The tie, which was locked at 1-1 after 120 exhausting minutes, looked destined for penalties, with players from both sides struggling to even muster the energy to get through to the final whistle.
But Lewis-Skelly, who had been the best player on the pitch, had other ideas.
When Bradley Ibrahim got the ball, Lewis-Skelly could sense one more opportunity. So off he went into the box.
It was a great run, and when Ibrahim’s excellent lofted pass fell for him, he planted a header past the onrushing City goalkeeper to send Arsenal through to the final in the most dramatic of circumstances.
At the age of just 16, Lewis-Skelly had shown once again why so many at Arsenal believe he is destined to make it to the very top.
But who is the teenage midfielder, and why is he so highly-rated? NXGN takes a closer look at one of Arsenal’s most promising youngsters…
Getty ImagesWhere it all began
Lewis-Skelly has been at Arsenal since he was nine. Spotted at an early age by the club, he was invited to Hale End and has been quickly working his way through the age groups ever since.
Along with fellow 16-year-old Ethan Nwaneri, who is a bit younger than his team-mate, the pair have been progressing through the academy playing in higher age groups due to their stand-out ability.
AdvertisementThe big break
Probably the first time that people started to notice Lewis-Skelly was when he came off the bench to make his Under-18s debut against Reading as a 14-year-old.
Even before that game, there was hype about what the young midfielder could do, but that only increased when he waltzed through the Reading defence just minutes after coming on and fired a thunderous left-footed shot into the top corner.
It was a goal that went viral on social media, with Arsenal fans around the world being given their first real taste of the talent that was progressing through at Hale End.
Lewis-Skelly hasn’t looked back since and has become a regular around the first-team squad this season, even travelling for the training camp in Dubai during the break for the World Cup, where he came off the bench in a game against Lyon.
Getty ImagesHow it's going
Lewis-Skelly has been one of the stand out players from the U18s run to the Youth Cup final, showing exactly why he is viewed as one of the best young talents coming through at Arsenal.
His excellent header in the last minute of extra-time against Man City in the semi-final was the goal that sent Arsenal to the final and capped a Man-of-the-Match display from the midfielder.
It’s easy to forget that Lewis-Skelly is still just 16, given the physical presence he plays with on the pitch and the way he can impact games, even at U21s level.
“We give him the tools he needs to develop,” said U18s coach Jack Wilshere, when discussing Lewis-Skelly. “But you see certain moments that are not coachable. Certain players can’t do that, only certain players can, but there’s much more that comes with it like how he lives.
“He’s a top kid, but he has to manage that going forward when he gets a bit more attention. He comes from a great family, which is massive, and I know that they’ll steer his journey and be present throughout that, a bit like me with my dad and family. That’s so important.”
Biggest strengths
Lewis-Skelly possesses almost everything you need to be a top player.
He’s excellent with the ball at his feet thanks to his impressive technique and he has the engine needed to be able to get from box to box.
The driving run he produced in the Youth Cup quarter-final against Cambridge, which led to Nwaneri scoring, perfectly highlighted the qualities he possesses.
Arsenal’s young midfielder picked up the ball from his centre-back deep inside his own half before running the length of the pitch, taking at least four Cambridge players out of the game as he made his way into the visitors’ penalty area.
It was a fabulous run, as was the late surge he produced in the semi-final to head home the dramatic extra-time winner.
While almost every player on the pitch were out on their feet after 120 minutes, Lewis-Skelly found the energy to make a run into the box to get on the end of Ibrahim’s pass to make the difference in a game that seemed destined for penalties.