‘Not one of them’: Coach admits he’s been left shocked by 22-year-old Arsenal player

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Former head of Arsenal’s academy Andries Jonker has admitted his surprise at the player Bukayo Saka has gone on to become today.

Jonker was speaking to The Athletic in a special report about Saka‘s rise through the Hale End academy.

During that chat, Jonker detailed how the staff at Arsenal were trying to assess Saka’s potential back in the day.

And Jonker quite remarkably shared that he didn’t expect Saka to be one of the key success stories.

Jonker said: “Every now and then, you can make him play with older players, make sure that he is also playing and training with players of his own physical quality, of his own length, of his own weight.

“There were three in the academy where I thought, ‘They are going to make it to Arsenal’s first team and they are going to make it to England’s national team’.

“Three – and Bakayo was not one of them.”

And that will be a pretty remarkable statement for Arsenal fans to hear.

Shortly after being named England’s Men’s Player of the Year for second year running, Saka has now been nominated for the Ballon d’Or.

Jonker thought Saka wouldn’t make it to Arsenal’s first team

It was Unai Emery who handed Bukayo Saka his first chance at Arsenal, and the 22-year-old has now never looked back.

Saka is arguably now the club’s most important players along with the likes of Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard and William Saliba. 

And although it can be hard to immediately recognise a talent in the academy, it was obvious once Saka stepped foot on the Emirates pitch.

Of course for all he’s already achieved, Saka will surely now be targeting major trophies with Arsenal.

Saka has just an FA Cup medal to his name thus far in his club career.

Jonker may not have spotted Saka’s potential immediately, but he will have been one of many that have contributed to all of his Arsenal success.