For second year scholars at Arsenal the ultimate aim is to earn a professional contract and Josh Ogunnaike is hard at work as he looks to achieve that objective.
The 17-year-old is mainly a left-back but he is also capable of operating as a left sided centre-back.
It was the latter position in which Ogunnaike was chosen to fill in during first-team training this week owing to Piero Hincapie’s absence due to injury.
Being able to play in numerous positions will certainly help Ogunnaike’s cause in the long term as he looks to make the breakthrough in senior football.
Ogunnaike has featured prominently for Arsenal U18s this season and he also had some involvement with the U19s in the UEFA Youth League, notably scoring against Olympiacos.
The youngster is known for his attacking qualities and he poses a significant threat in the final third with his direct runs and dangerous crosses.
There are times when Ogunnaike can be caught too far up the pitch which can leave his team exposed but there have been some signs of improvement recently in that regard.
Ogunnaike already has some experience of playing at U21 level and he will look to ensure that he will earn an extended stay at the club and be a full time member of the squad at that level next season.
—
Jeorge Bird is the author of www.arsenalyouth.wordpress.com Follow him on Twitter @jeorgebird