Mikel Arteta calls up ‘aggressive’ Jack Henry-Francis to first-team training

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Arsenal take on Southampton in the Premier League tonight, and Mikel Arteta has called up young Jack Henry-Francis to senior training ahead of the game.

The Gunners need to bounce back after two difficult results. They went 2-0 up against both Liverpool and West Ham away from home in their last two fixtures but only managed draws in both games.

Mikel Arteta will want nothing but a win against relegation-threatened Saints tonight.

Mikel Arteta calls up Jack Henry-Francis to first-team training

Arsenal have one of the youngest sides in Europe and are still on top of the Premier League table. That makes their achievement so far absolutely incredible.

Arteta, however, is open to giving chances to more young players.

We see a number of teenagers called up to first-team training sessions to gain some experience every week, and this time, it’s young Henry-Francis who caught our eye in Arsenal’s Inside Training video.

The 19-year-old, described as an ‘aggressive and tenacious‘ tackler on Arsenal’s official website, has come through the ranks at the Gunners’ prestigious youth academy at Hale End.

He joined the club when he was just 12 years old and has been a fine player at youth level, but he’s yet to get an opportunity in the senior setup.

However, the fact that Arteta has called him up to senior training must mean he has seen something in him that has caught his eye.

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Henry-Francis is unlikely to get an opportunity at senior level in the remainder of this campaign, but he could get a chance to show his quality in pre-season.

Arteta and everyone at Arsenal have shown they aren’t afraid to give young players an opportunity if they deserve it. The likes of Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli have become absolute superstars today and they’re both less than two years older than Henry-Francis.

No, we’re not saying the 19-year-old is on the same level as Saka or Martinelli, but he has the potential to become a very good player in the Premier League in a few years’ time, and rubbing shoulders with the likes of Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka will only help him get better.

It will be interesting to see if Henry-Francis will play in part in Arsenal’s pre-season this summer.