The latest edition of the U19 European Championship got underway last weekend, with Arsenal having one representative at the tournament in Brayden Clarke.
Clarke, who previously featured in two U17 Euros tournaments, was entrusted with the captain’s armband for hosts Wales at this year’s U19 competition.
Results certainly haven’t gone to plan, with Wales being beaten 7-0 by a hugely impressive Spain side before losing 4-0 to Germany last night.
As a consequence, Wales now won’t be able to make it through to the knockout stages, although they do still have one group game remaining against Denmark on Saturday.
Clarke will certainly have gained a lot of experience from the tournament despite the results and he will be eager to test himself in senior football next season, with a loan spell a possibility.
The centre-back, who turns 19 tomorrow, could potentially be a candidate for a temporary switch to a club in League One or League Two.
Since his switch to Arsenal’s academy from Wolves in March 2024, Clarke has gone on to become a key figure for Arsenal at U21 level while he was also named on the bench for the first-team for a Premier League game against Bournemouth in 2025.
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Jeorge Bird is the author of www.arsenalyouth.wordpress.com Follow him on Twitter @jeorgebird