Thierry Henry shares his initial impressions of Bukayo Saka during their time at Arsenal.
The legendary player reflects on his thoughts regarding Saka during their first meeting at the club.
Having observed Saka since his days in the Arsenal academy, the French football icon confessed that he did not foresee Saka evolving into the outstanding player he has become.
Today, Saka plays a vital role in Arsenal’s offensive lineup and has emerged as a leader within the team.
With Martin Odegaard sidelined, Saka has taken on the captaincy in recent matches, demonstrating impressive dependability.
Saka made his debut under Unai Emery after gaining recognition in the academy. Arsenal has a rich history of nurturing young talent, and Saka’s abilities were too significant for the senior coaching staff to ignore.
He secured his place in the first team, leading to a remarkable career trajectory.
Nevertheless, even someone as esteemed as Henry did not anticipate the extent of Saka’s impact on the club.
The Arsenal legend remarked, as reported by The Sun: “I saw him at the academy and I didn’t think he would be that good, I’ll be honest with you.”
He further noted, “When you work, you have that work ethic, and you have a good family behind you, it’s very important. He makes the job easier for everyone.”
Evaluating a young player’s potential can be challenging, as evidenced by the experiences of Harry Kane and Eberechi Eze, who were released by Arsenal during their academy years due to doubts about their future prospects in football.
