The following piece takes a look at the footballing origins of Arsenal’s sensational starlets who romped to a 6-0 victory over Championship outfit Sheffield United on Tuesday night. The position of the player refers to their natural position(s), and not the role in which they played in the aforementioned fixture.
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Lukasz Fabianski
Position: Goalkeeper
Age: 23
The Polish goalkeeper was signed by Arsenal from Legia Warsaw one year ago. Initially bough as a third-choice ‘keeper, replacing Mart Poom, Fabianski has since climbed the pecking order at Arsenal. Manuel Almunia usurped Jens Lehmann as the Gunners’ first choice between the sticks and when the German left North London to join Stuttgart, the young Pole claimed his spot as the second choice goalkeeper at Arsenal. Although his first team opportunities have been limited compared to his time at Legia, Fabianski has performed well in the nine competitive appearances he has made in an Arsenal shirt, keeping clean sheets twice in the Carling Cup last season, and not conceeding against Everton or Sunderland in the league last season. Fabianski is seen as the long-term successor to Manuel Almunia at Arsenal and can be relied upon to fill in for the Almunia if the Spaniard ever picks up an injury.
Gavin Hoyte
Position: Right Back, Centre Back
Age: 18
A regular for England at under-17 level, Hoyte was a member of the Young Lions squad that participated in last year’s U-17 World Cup in Korea. Gavin was awarded with the Reserves Captaincy this season, after skippering the Gunners’ under-18 side in the 2006/07 season. The next few seasons will be crucial for Gavin and will determine if he is ever going to break through to the first team at Arsenal, a feat his older brother Justin could never achieve.
Johan Djourou
Position: Centre Back
Age: 21
At 21 years of age, the 192cm defender was the oldest outfield player in Arsenal’s 6-0 triumph over the Blades. Djourou spent the first half of last season on loan to Birmingham City after joining from Swiss side Etoile Carouge in 2004. He returned from the midlands with added experience but seemed to be fifth choice centre-back in the Arsenal squad behind Gallas, Toure, Senderos and seemingly Song. The Switzerland international, who has 20 caps to his name, will be looking to cement himself as third choice this season as compatriot Senderos has joined AC Milan and Alex Song is forced to be used as a DM since Arsenal’s central midfield stocks are rather light. Who knows though, with Gallas and Toure seemingly incompatible, Djourou may be called upon to solve Arsenal’s aerial woes.
Alexandre Song
Position: Centre Back, Defensive Midfield
Age: 21
in the 2003/04 season, where he became an integral part of French side Bastia’s youth team. During his time at Bastia, Song was courted by clubs such as Manchester United, Lyon and Middleborough. However, it was Arsenal that captured the highly-rated African, signing Alex on a one-year loan deal from Bastia in 2005 before making his move permanent in July 2006. Song spent half of the 2006/07 season on loan at Charlton Athletic and has since returned to Arsenal desperate for first team action. A solid showing at the Beijing Olympics and an extremely positive start to the season means that the Cameroon international may push Denilson for a central midfield position.
Kieran Gibbs
Position: Left Wing, Left Back
Age: 18
Explosive wideman Gibbs joined Arsenal in 2004 following the collapse of the Youth Academy at Wimbledon. Gibbs made his debut against last week’s opposition Sheffield United in the League Cup and he made one further appearances in the competition, against Blackburn Rovers. He spent the latter half of last season at Championship outfit Nowrich under the management of Glen Roeder, playing seven games before returning back to Arsenal to reclaim his spot in the Reserves. The blistering pace and tendency to bomb up the sidelines from the fullback position means he may be used as a back-up to Gael Clichy if Frenchman Armand Traore makes his loan move to Portsmouth permanent.
Mark Randall
Position: Central Midfield
Age: 18
Mark Randall has been “on the verge” of breaking into the Arsenal first team for what seems like an eternity. The Milton Keynes-born attacker spent part of last season on loan to Burnley and has returned to Arsenal with a more combative streak. He is likely to feature extensively in the League Cup and even the early stages of the FA cup. The teenager already has one assist to his name this season and will be looking to lay on some more goals for his teammates this season.
Aaron Ramsey
Position: Central Midfield, Right Wing
Age: 17
The Wales youth international was Arsene Wenger’s second most expensive signing of the summer, with Arsenal paying a fee of £5 million for the youngster. Ramsey came off the bench in Cardiff City’s 1-0 FA Cup final defeat against Portsmouth at Wembley and made a total of 23 appearances for the Bluebirds, scoring twice. Ramsey has shown that he has the grit and determination to match his technique and silky skills and has already endeared himself to Gooners everywhere by rejecting Manchester United. It is not a question of if the Welsh wonderkid will break into the Arsenal starting lineup but merely when. Mark my words, Aaron Ramsey will be a star.
Fran Merida
Position: Central Midfield, Left Wing
Age: 18
Fran Merida Perez joined Arsenal amid much controversy in the summer of 2005. The diminutive midfielder made three appearances for Arsenal last season (all in the Carling Cup) before being loaned out to Real Sociedad. Merida made a total of 13 appearances for the Basque outfit, scoring once and setting up a further six goals. He was the star of Spain’s Under-17 World Cup campaign in South Korea, leading his side to the final before losing out on penalties to Nigeria. Merida is expected to figure heavily in Arsenal’s Carling Cup side this season and will face stiff competition if he is to break into the League squad any time soon, although he has plenty of time to crack the first team at Arsenal.
Jack Wilshere
Position: Central Midfield, Left Wing
Age: 16
Local lad Wilshere is undoubtedly the star of the Arsenal youth academy. After spending the majority of last season in the under-18s (still a massive step up for a then fifteen-year-old), Wilshere came to the fore after he set up Nacer Barazite and scored a spectacular goal himself in a 2-1 victory over West Ham reserves, in a match that was dubbed “The Jack Wilshere Show”. He posesses the ability to play all across the midfield though he is best suited to a central role.
Wilshere stepped up and had a brilliant pre-season with Arsenal, scoring a brace against Burgenland and then backing that up with a sublime volley against Stuttgart. Wilshere made his Arsenal debut off the bench against Blackburn Rovers and then scored in his second ever senior appearance, powering home with a low finish against Sheffield United. In recent months it has become obvious why Wilshere has drawn comparisons with Arsenal youth boss Liam Brady. Lets hope young Jack has the same amount of success for the Gunners as Chippy did.
Nicklas Bendtner
Position: Striker
Age: 20
“The Great Dane” Nicklas Bendtner joined Arsenal from hometown side Kjøbenhavns Boldklub as a 16-year-old in 2004. The 6ft 4 hitman spent a year in the reserves at Arsenal, establishing a prolific partnership with departed striker Arturo Lupoli. This reserves form earnt Bendtner a season-long loan to Birmingham City in the 2006/07 season. The striker played a total of 48 matches for the Blues, netting 13 goals.
Bendtner returned to London a year ago with his Legolas-like haircut gone, and the in the 2007/08 season the Denmark international came of age. He scored 9 goals in 40 appearances (many of those off the bench) and provided a focal point up front when Emmanuel Adebayor wasn’t available. He often popped up with crucial goals last season, e.g. his goal against the Yids at home last season when he jumped what seemed to be about 10 feet in the air before heading home a Cesc Fabregas corner. That was his first touch of the match. Bendtner has netted 4 times in 7 games this season and will almost certainly push the likes of Robin van Persie and Emmanuel Adebayor for a starting berth this year.
Carlos Vela
Position: Striker
Age: 19
Carlos Alberto Vela came to the fore following a magical showing in Mexico’s victorious 2005 Under-17 World Cup campaign. Vela picked up the Golden Booth for the tournament, scoring five goals. He then spent three seasons on loan in Spain in order to gain a work permit. He played for Celta Vigo, Salamanca and Osasuna respectively, though he never actually appeared for Celta Vigo. You can read all about Carlos Vela’s performances while on loan here.
Carlos Vela was without doubt the best player on the pitch in the match against the Blades. He was everywhere on Tuesday and deserved no less than his three goal haul. The first finish was something that Thierry Henry would be proud of although the second goal was something I have never seen the Frenchman do. Vela brilliantly controlled a Kieran Gibbs pass and knocked the ball past his marker before gliding the ball over a hapless Paddy Kenny from close range with a delicate, sumptuous chip. The goal was reminiscent of a Mr. Dennis Bergkamp, and if Vela’s display was anything to go by, the young Mexican striker was well worth the wait.
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Last season depth seemed to be the reason why Arsenal fell at the last hurdle in the Premier League. Now, it seems that the gap between the Youth sides and the First team has decreased dramatically, and thare are a few established players who need to make sure they stay on form, as Arsenal’s young starlets, spearheaded by the likes of Bendtner, Wilshere, Remsey and Vela, are ready to pounce.
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