His dad’s personality clearly rubbed off on the youngster, and helps explain the winger’s laid-back persona. “It was great because my dad was always really composed, really calm and was always so good at dealing with everything that was put on his plate, or on my plate,” Bukayo adds.
“Any decision, he would help me with calmly. If I was ever upset with anything at training, or if a coach put me out of position for example, and I went to my dad complaining, he was always so calm. He never overreacted at all. He was reassuring, told me not to worry, kept me calm and told me how I can learn from it. So that’s what I mean – he’s been a huge influence.”
Coming through the ranks at Hale End meant that Bukayo had plenty of other role models too, and just as he’s now inspiring our next generation, he himself looked up to those who broke into the first team before him.
“When I was in the academy all of us used to look at Alex Iwobi, Chuba Akpom and Jack Wilshere,” he says. “They had come through the academy, were quite close to our age as well, and we got to go to a lot of games at Emirates Stadium so we got to see them play a lot.
"Obviously Jack at the time was really, really flying – he was a joy to watch. We all loved watching him, and we saw a lot of ourselves in him too because he had come through the way we wanted to. The same for Alex and the same for Chuba.
“I will always remember, in fact, when I got Chuba’s shirt after a game once. It was after he came on in a game at Emirates Stadium. He knows, because he was at Hale End, and I know because I was there too – we know where the Hale End boys sit in the stadium. So afterwards, when he heard us all screaming his name, he threw his shirt to us and I was the one who got it!
“I remember being so happy that day – I think I even DMed him on Instagram afterwards to tell him I got it! I was about 13 and it’s a great memory to have. Stuff like that sticks with you, so that’s why, after the games at the Emirates, if I see the Hale End boys I always try to give them my boots or my shorts or something, because I know what it means. For us it might be a little thing, but as a kid it can mean everything.”