Arsenal have signed a significant number of superstars, but they also have a proud history of producing them.
Tony Adams, David O’Leary, Ashley Cole and Ray Parlor all got their start at Hale End and went on to have careers that most players could only dream of.
Bukayo Saka, still the Gunners’ most important player and talisman, comes from a world-class academy, and Max Dauman looks like he could be the next best player.
However, not all highly rated prospects live up to their potential, and Jack Wilshere is perhaps the most unfortunate example.
Fortunately, Mikel Arteta has another hail-ender on his side, and Wilshere could be the player he was hoping for.
Wilshere’s Arsenal career
Ahead of the likes of Ethan Nwaneri and Dauman, Wilshere held the title of Arsenal’s youngest league debutant thanks to his appearance against Blackburn Rovers in September 2008.
The youngster made eight appearances that season and seven in the first half of the following season before being sent on short loan to Bolton Wanderers, where he scored and assisted in 14 games.
Taking advantage of this valuable experience, manager Arsene Wenger chose to give the teenage talent a key role in the team the following season, appearing in 49 games in all competitions, scoring two goals and providing nine assists.
This campaign saw him put in some famous performances against Josep Guardiola’s legendary Barcelona side, almost single-handedly dominating the Catalan midfield of Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Sergio Busquets.
It was around this time that the England manager at the time compared Hale Ender to a young Andrea Pirlo, and it is no exaggeration to say that expectations were extremely high around him.
But it’s easy to see why many thought the Englishman would become the absolute world batsman. Because he had incredibly tight control, an eye for passes, the ability to get the ball into the middle of the park, and a perfect attitude.
However, not long after that iconic match against Barça, the Gunners’ high hopes began to suffer a spate of injuries, with him missing a whopping 228 games for club and country between the 11/12 season and 2016/17 when he left North London.
Unfortunately, this lack of staying healthy completely derailed his career, as Wilshere had all the necessary abilities to become one of the best midfielders in the world.
The only positive for Arsenal fans is that Arteta’s team has players who can be the players Wilshere expected them to be.
Arsenal star who can deliver on Wilshere’s promise
While fans may immediately think of Nwaneri or Dowman in this situation, the Hail Ender who could be the player Wilshere had in mind is actually Miles Lewis-Skelly.
Indeed, the youngster is currently seen as a left-back in Arteta’s side, where he is seen as second choice, but that is unlikely to be his long-term position.
After all, the Islington-born talent spent most of his time in the academy playing as a central or defensive midfielder, and there will be no duplication when he breaks into the first team. He flipped in the central area.
Moreover, his best traits, which he shares with the former Gunners star, will help him become a world-class central player.
For example, even though he is still relatively inexperienced, he has always shown a great eye for passes and has shown a great left foot to go with it.
Plus, like Saka, the 19-year-old is much stronger than he looks and consistently wins physical duels with his opponents.
Finally, like Wilshere, the young dynamo is already an excellent ball carrier and could be among the best on the team when it comes to carrying the ball in crowded midfields.
This was on full display last month against Atlético Madrid, when he beat half the team and provided the perfect assist for Gabriel Martinelli to make it 2-0.
In addition to all this, Hail Ender also shares a similar approach and attitude towards the game.
His goal and praise against Manchester City last season, for example, more than confirms Declan Rice’s description of him as ‘fearless’, and when you combine that with everything else, it’s easy to see why Arsenal club official Hand called him a ‘future captain’.
Ultimately, there’s still a long way to go, but there’s a good chance Lewis-Skelly can become the player Wilshere was meant to be, thanks to his impressive ability, skillset and mentality.