Heartwarming Bukayo Saka interaction with academy ace speaks volumes about Arsenal star

Bukayo Saka is now a huge star for both club and country, but it seems the Arsenal forward hasn’t forgotten where he came from. At just 23, Saka has already made 263 appearances for his boyhood club, scoring 61 times and winning 43 caps at the international level.

He joined the club’s Hale End Academy at just seven years old and eventually made his senior debut some 11 years later.

But as well as cementing his place as a pivotal player under Mikel Arteta, Saka has also taken time to help those coming up through the youth ranks at the club like he once did.

The influence of the 2022/23 PFA Young Player of the Year has been hailed by academy starlet Samuel Onyekachukwu. Despite being just 16 years old, the centre-back has already featured in the Arsenal under-18 and 19 squads. 

And he revealed that Saka, who has also been praised for appearing humble despite his rise to prominence, offered words of advice after the teenager had joined the first team for training. “There was this funny moment when I was in the ice bath and Saka walked in,” he told the club website.

“He joked that I needed to get my whole body in, and we ended up doing the ice bath together for about 10 minutes. He told me how he used to be nervous and shy when he first arrived, but he encouraged me to be confident and believe in myself, which meant a lot to me.”

Arsenal’s youngsters have recently moved their training base, which has led to Onyekachukwu rubbing shoulders with the likes of Saka and co. And the defender has lauded the experience and step up in intensity. 

“Moving to the Sobha Realty Training Centre has been amazing,” he added. “It’s a much more professional environment than Hale End, and it’s humbling to see how the hard work is paying off.

“I’ve even had the chance to train with the first team, which was an unreal experience. Walking onto the pitch and seeing Saliba, Saka, and Odegaard playing around – my heart was pounding. The tempo was so quick, and you have to think fast to keep up.”

Last year, Onyekachukwu toured Brazil with the under-17 side, and was an interested spectator in September when Arsenal played Bolton in the League Cup. A host of familiar faces were involved as the Gunners ran out 5-1 winners, with the game seemingly motivating the Englishman to follow suit.

“Seeing six academy players feature against Bolton in the Carabao Cup was incredibly inspiring,” he said. “Especially Jack Porter, as he’s in the same age group as me. Watching him play was amazing. It just shows that if you work hard and keep performing at a high level, there is a pathway to the first team.“