Pundit Cascarino says Arsenal youngster Maitland-Niles reminds him of a young Bale

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Tony Cascarino believes Ainsley Maitland-Niles of Arsenal is ‘the next Gareth Bale’ according to the Times, the Game pullout, page 9, 22/04.

Former Chelsea and Millwall forward Cascarino is clearly a huge fan of the young Englishman, prompting him to make a bold comparison with Bale, who remains a hero of Arsenal’s north London rivals Tottenham, of course.

He said: “I saw the next Gareth Bale on Thursday – and he was wearing an Arsenal shirt. Ainsley Maitland-Niles is a full back who is not really a full back, just like Bale when he joined Tottenham in 2007.

“He has fierce pace and gets in great positions to score and create chances. He is more of a wing back but could easily play in midfield too. But after a few recent injuries, the worry is that his explosive style may make him injury-prone, like Bale.”

Maitland-Niles is such a versatile player that he has been able to fill in across the pitch for Arsenal this season, but his best position looks to be as a central midfielder.

That is where he will likely end up, but for now, his speed and energy have made him a perfect fit to plug gaps in the back four, or five, depending on Unai Emery’s tactics.

Is he as good as Gareth Bale? No. And that’s what makes Cascarino’s comparison a bit premature, and may set tongues wagging on both halves of north London.