Myles Lewis-Skelly says Bukayo Saka is helping him keep his feet on the ground after breaking into the Arsenal team.
Lewis-Skelly started twice for the Gunners last week and was rested for Wednesday’s 3-2 Carabao Cup quarter-final win over Crystal Palace.
The 18-year-old was named on the bench, but he came on for the final 20 minutes and is expected to start when Arsenal travel to Selhurst Park in the Premier League on Saturday.
Lewis-Skelly has had a rapid rise after only making his debut in September - and he has thanked fellow academy graduate Saka for taking him under his wing.
Lewis-Skelly is expected to start when Arsenal travel to Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Saturday
Arsenal FC via Getty Images
“First of all, my mum and family keep me grounded,” said Lewis-Skelly.
“They help me a lot with that, but obviously Bukayo coming through [the academy], he knows what is it like.
“You get all the attention, so you have got to keep your feet on the ground, keep your mind focused.
“Jorginho has helped me a lot. He is obviously so experienced. Martin [Odegaard] has helped me a lot as the captain, he is great role model to live up to.”
Lewis-Skelly has been blooded into the first-team this season and is one of several youngsters to get chances.
Ethan Nwaneri, who is 17, started against Palace and Mikel Arteta gave minutes to six teenagers in the third-round win over Bolton in September.
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Arteta will celebrate five years in charge of Arsenal on Friday and Lewis-Skelly has hailed his impact.
“It’s incredible,” he said. “The team he has built with the coaches. You can just sense around the ground that the energy is always high, positive vibes.
“It has been such a good transition for me, pretty smooth. He has helped me a lot with how to help the team out and just how to be a better person myself.
“We aim to be winning trophies this season. That’s our goal. We want to strive to win and you have to be in competitions to win them. So we are happy about that.”
Lewis-Skelly came through the Arsenal academy as a midfielder, but he has been used as a left-back in the first-team.
He has been studying the way others have played that position, including Kieran Tierney - who he came on for on Wednesday night.
“KT is a great defender,” he said. “His recovery runs are top.
“I tell him all the time that I take bits from his game and, as you saw today, his crossing into the box is exceptional. He is a natural left-back, so I have learned a lot from him.
“When I am on the ball and working on ball retention, keeping the play simple. It’s the basics that I have taken from midfield to left-back. It has helped me.”