Jack Wilshere suggests Myles Lewis-Skelly could become Arsenal’s next Zinchenko

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Jack Wilshere’s Arsenal U18s are in the final of the FA Youth Cup thanks to Myles Lewis-Skelly’s dramatic last-minute winner against Manchester City this week.

Lewis-Skelly, still only 16 years old, is one of Arsenal’s brightest young talents. He has the quality and potential to become an absolute star in the coming years, and he’s definitely on the right path under the watchful eyes of Wilshere.

The Arsenal U18s boss shed some light on Lewis-Skelly‘s best position after the game.

Jack Wilshere suggests Myles Lewis-Skelly could become Arsenal’s next Zinchenko

Lewis-Skelly is a central midfielder by trade and he is excellent there. However, back in January, U21s boss Mehmet Ali used him at left-back, much to the surprise of fans.

“A good footballer can play anywhere on the pitch. You look at some of our first-team players like Bukayo Saka; they don’t always break through playing as a right winger, it might be as a left-back or a centre-forward playing off the sides. They have to be tactically flexible, technically excellent and adaptable to play for Mikel,” Ali said at the time.

Now, Wilshere too has had his say on Lewis-Skelly’s position, and he feels the youngster will be a midfielder in the future. However, he pointed at Oleksandr Zinchenko’s ability to start at left-back and play more-or-less like a number eight as something that young players like Lewis-Skelly should learn.

Wilshere told The Athletic: “I don’t think he’ll be a left-back; he’ll be a midfielder. But if we give him a little bit of everything (it will help).

“It’s important for him. You look at our first team and the way football’s going with players like Oleksandr Zinchenko, the full-back has to be able to play inside.”

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There’s no other player in the world quite like Zinchenko.

The Ukrainian has been integral to Arsenal’s success this season. The way he plays in numerous areas of the pitch despite starting as a left-back makes the Gunners a really dangerous side, and he’s one of the biggest reasons why they are on top of the Premier League table.

Zinchenko is still only 26 and he’ll be around for a long time. However, it’s never a bad idea to develop a young player to eventually take the Ukrainian’s spot in the side.

Young Lewis-Skelly could well be that man in the coming years.