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Speaking on The Rest is Football podcast, Richards expressed his sheer admiration for Lewis-Skelly after England defeated the Czech Republic 3-0 at Wembley. The 20-year-old featured during the international break, showcasing his immense potential on the international stage, with Richards singling the Arsenal academy graduate out for special praise. "Myles Lewis-Skelly is one of my favourite players," Richards stated. "Technically he’s very good, he’s strong and fast, he has football intelligence and he’s still so young as well."
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Arsenal currently have a highly competitive squad, making it difficult for emerging talents to secure regular starting spots. Lewis-Skelly faces fierce competition from established stars like Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard.
However, Richards remains convinced by the youngster's extraordinary ceiling. "I remember his performance against Real Madrid a couple of seasons ago [in the quarter-finals of the Champions League] and I hadn’t seen anything quite like it from someone that young," Richards noted, highlighting how the talent consistently impresses against elite opposition on the biggest stages.
Too good for the substitutes bench
Despite the intense battle for minutes, Richards firmly believes that Lewis-Skelly should be playing regularly. Arsenal have invested heavily in their midfield and defence, but the former defender thinks the homegrown star cannot be ignored.
"Obviously Riccardo Calafiori has been playing left-back for Arsenal and they’ve brought in Bruno Guimaraes to the midfield on top of Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard. But Lewis-Skelly is too good to be on the bench. He’s one of the best young players I’ve seen at his age and that’s not an exaggeration. He’s unbelievable, such a delight."
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What comes next for Lewis-Skelly?
Following a successful international break with England, Lewis-Skelly will return to north London aiming to force his way into Mikel Arteta's starting lineup. Arsenal face a packed fixture schedule in the coming weeks, which should present the talented youngster with crucial opportunities to prove his undeniable worth on the pitch.