Having recently converted his Arsenal first team squad number from 39 to 24, this latest amendment over serves to mark the rise of Hector Bellerin who enjoyed a fantastic breakthrough campaign last season.
Having spent part of the 2013/14 campaign on loan at then Championship outfit Watford, the Spanish starlet couldn’t have imagined how well the next season would’ve played out for him.
With Arsenal swooping to complete the double signings of Mathieu Debuchy and Calum Chambers this time last summer, Bellerin may have thought another season of playing Under-21 football or a similar loan switch away from Emirates Stadium may have been on the cards but oh how wrong he was.
Following a long-term injury to Mathieu Debuchy, not to mention Chambers being found out in that difficult away day to Swansea City last term, the sprightly Bellerin was called upon an increasing amount of times and he didn’t disappoint.
Talked about a lot previously due to the fact he broke a sprinting record at the club, Bellerin’s pace is undeniable up the Gunners’ right flank and he yet again proved in yesterday’s Barclays Asia Trophy fixture with a Singapore Select XI that he boasts a crossing threat, setting up Chuba Akpom for the fourth.
Bellerin’s rise has Gooners excited and although they might not like hearing it at the moment, if he continues to improve at the rate he is currently setting, perhaps former academy employers Barcelona will be keen on re-signing him in the future.
With that prospect simply metaphoric at present, we’re taking a look at five Gunners starlets who could be following Bellerin into Arsene Wenger’s first team plans this season or next.
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Click on the image below to reveal the 5 Arsenal youngsters to follow Hector Bellerin into the Gunners’ first team.
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Dan Crowley
Coming on as a second half substitute against the Singapore Select XI in the Barclays Asia Trophy yesterday, a lot of Gunners fans managed to see what all the fuss was about regarding Dan Crowley.
Dubbed the ‘new Jack Wilshere’, Wilshere himself was withdrawn when Crowley entered the field and upon the first few glances, he looks a graceful midfielder who is equally diminutive whilst boasting the ability to spot a pass.
Only 17-years-old, Crowley was nabbed from Aston Villa a few years back and given his impressive cameo in Singapore yesterday, expect to see more of the midfielder in the Emirates Cup in two weekends’ time.
At present, Crowley appears like a player who’d receive playing time in the early rounds of the Capital One Cup as opposed to moving out on loan but that prospect can’t be ruled out entirely with 17-year-old Ainsley Maitland-Niles having already secured a temporary switch to Championship side Ipswich Town.
Krystian Bielik
Gunners fans may have forgot that Krystian Bielik was Arsenal’s second signing of the January transfer window in addition to Gabriel Paulista.
After all, they haven’t seen much of him since he was brought into the club from Legia Warsaw and they won’t get to see him soon either with the Polish youth international not a part of their Barclays Asia Trophy squad at present.
Incredibly highly rated in his homeland, Bielik made five appearances for Legia’s first team despite being aged just 16 and when any player makes their professional debut at that age worldwide, there must be something special about them.
Standing at 6 ft 2 in, Bielik is a domineering presence and plays in that defensive midfield role that so many Gooners have been crying out for reinforcements in over the last couple of transfer windows.
Upon signing back in January, Arsene Wenger immediately confirmed that Bielik would be a member of his first team squad and having already been issued the number 36 jersey, perhaps we’ll see him at some point this season given it looks like Arsenal won’t be bringing in that elusive top class DM.
Alex Iwobi
Alex Iwobi was the surprise starter in Arsenal’s starting eleven that faced the Singapore Select XI yesterday and the Nigerian winger didn’t disappoint.
A pacey presence down the Gunners’ left wing on the night, Iwobi linked up with Chuba Akpom fantastically with the pair outshining the likes of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Jack Wilshere in the first half.
An interesting fact about Iwobi is that he is actually the nephew of Nigerian legend and former Bolton Wanderers star Jay-Jay Okocha so you can imagine where he gets the flair and trickery from.
While Iwobi is yet to make a competitive first team appearance for Arsenal, he was actually an unused sub for the Gunners in their Capital One Cup penalty shootout victory over West Bromwich Albion back in 2013/14 at The Hawthorns – a night in which Arsenal fans were introduced to Isaac Hayden.
Iwobi will hope he can go one better and get some game time, most probably in the same competition this time around.
Chris Willock
Another Arsenal youngster who secured some game time yesterday in Singapore was 17-year-old Chris Willock who emerged from the bench as a late substitute.
Appearing in Arsenal’s pre-season campaign at Boreham Wood this time last year, Willock is clearly rated very highly by Arsene Wenger who hasn’t been scared to throw him in at the deep end despite his years.
Willock can play in multiple positions including centre forward but he is primarily a winger and an interesting fact about the Arsenal starlet is that his brothers Matthew and Joseph play for Manchester United Under-21’s and Arsenal Under 18’s respectively.
With Willock playing in an area that is so competitively contested in the Arsenal first team right now, the attacker will again be hoping that Arsenal secure a relatively easy home draw in the Capital One Cup where he’ll be likely to be named on the bench.
Gedion Zelalem
Still just 18-years-old, we’ve spoken about Gedion Zelalem as a fantastic Arsenal prospect for so long now that we may have thought he was older than that age!
Having already achieved a half of first team football for Arsenal in their 4-1 demolition of Galatasaray in the Champions League last season, this experience would’ve proved invaluable for the player who now represents the United States at youth international level.
Zelalem is a strong minded individual with self belief in abundance, documented by the fact he’s previously mentioned that he expects to be a part of Arsene Wenger’s plans this coming season.
Having received positive endorsements by the likes of US men’s national team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann to boot, Zelalem is being looked upon with relatively more pressure on his shoulders than the rest to in order to deliver while fulfilling his obvious potential.
A central midfielder by trade, Zelalem is only slight with passing and dribbling abilities being his strongest assets and Olivier Giroud has already noted that if he adds more aggression to his game, the sky is the limit.
