Gunner Chuks is grateful to Dario

Crewe nowadays after Gradi stepped down to focus on the club’s youth development in 2011, but Aneke thinks the lingering effects of his 26-years in charge has been good for him.

“The main attraction coming to Crewe in the first place was knowing how they develop their players. They’re not like any other League One team or any other club in the Football League, really,” he said.

Pride

“You see the influence Dario Gradi has made and though he’s not involved with the first team, the young players are still being given a chance even now.

“I’ve been here for a whole year and you see the way the club is run and ideally the team over the years would have stuck together, but financially I guess it hasn’t been viable.

“Hard work from both myself and the coaches have really helped me out with my finishing and all aspects of my game. I’ve definitely improved on what I’m capable of since being here.

“Iinitially we were assessing my options in the summer but I am grateful Steve took the opportunity to bring me back as a young player. I could have stayed at Arsenal, but I was not really getting a sniff at being involved.

“I always pride myself on wanting to play football and when I knew they wanted me on loan again it was an easy decision.

“It’s nice to be compared to great players but I’ve only just started my career, I’ve got a lot to prove and that’s only just started over the last two seasons.”

Aneke is battling to keep Crewe out of the relegation places this season, his eight league strikes before this weekend doing much to stop them being cut adrift.

But as his contract at Arsenal winds down over the next four months, the youngster is aware that his career stands at a crossroads. Aneke does not know what Arsène