PER’S EURO VISION FOR YOUNG GUNS
Smith Rowe and Saka can ‘lead us back to the elite’ says Mertesacker
PER MERTESACKER believes Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe can carry Arsenal back into the Champions League.
Arsenal academy director Mertesacker says the two England prospects are good enough to inspire a new generation of young talent at the Emirates.
Saka, 20, is one of the senior international side’s rising stars, while Smith Rowe scored the winner for England Under-21s against Andorra on Monday.
And with Arsenal out of European competition for the first time in 25 years, their former defender Mertesacker believes the pair are vital to the club’s progression and a return to the days of finishing in the top four.
Mertesacker said: “We’re asking Bukayo and Emile to lead us back to the Champions League. It’s always been a narrative at Arsenal to give young players a chance to play at the top.
“If you ask Bukayo and Emile, they will tell you how they were inspired by Jack Wilshere, Cesc Fabregas, Hector Bellerin. So the next generation of under-9 players at the academy will be inspired by these players.
“However, they will speak about the bumpy road, their learning, the journey that hasn’t always been easy. We are giving young players the chance to learn to be vulnerable, to be exposed to the highest level and to be proper leaders for this club in two or three years’ time, while acknowledging they probably need to suffer before they bring us back to glory.”
Saka and Smith Rowe are the shining lights of the current generation, but Arsenal have also signed a ground-breaking deal with technology company STATSports to allow young players and fans to use the same information as the first team and academy.
They will see data – such as speed, distance covered and how long spent in the “red zone” – from Arsenal’s first team and be able to compare themselves to the club’s top stars. But Mertesacker knows that mentality is equally as important as physical attributes. And it has been Saka’s mindset that has helped him not only overcome the heartbreak of the Euros last summer, but also reach the top as many of his youth team pals fell by the way side. Mertesacker said: “Even the huge disappointment in the summer in terms of missing the penalty… that’s the making of Bukayo Saka. It was a lot on him but he will deliver for England and for Arsenal in the upcoming years. “We love that he is such an inspiration... instead of just looking at the contracts and the money. ”
The new STATSports Arsenal FC Edition is available from October 18 at www.statsports.com/ arsenal