Mikel Arteta insists Myles Lewis-Skelly’s England call-up is no fluke, praising the teenager’s relentless drive and rapid rise at Arsenal.
BEST BY MYLES Gunners boss Mikel knew he had ‘player’ on his hands after Lewis-Skelly starred as sub in USA Daily Mirror15 Mar 2025BY NEIL McLEMAN FOR a player nicknamed MLS, it’s appropriate Myles Lewis-Skelly first showed Mikel Arteta he was going to be “a player” in a preseason friendly in the USA. And the 18-year-old could now finish next season competing at the World Cup back on the other side of the Atlantic. The teenager has gone from the Arsenal Academy to Thomas Tuchel’s first England squad in a breathless start to his young career. Arteta yesterday spoke about the club’s pride of his rapid rise – and the importance an English core in his own Arsenal squad. Lewis-Skelly, who has been converted to left-back from midfield, is the new poster boy after only making his senior debut in September’s 2-2 draw with Manchester City. He has already shown he is the man for the big stage. “I was very impressed with him in the States when he came on, for example, against Liverpool as a sub and he started to compete against those guys in the frontline,” Arteta said. “I was like, ‘We have a player here’. We are all really, really happy at his call-up because it’s a nice story and a story that gives a lot of hope to a lot of young players – that in six or seven months your career can change dramatically, drastically for the good. “It’s something for people to be inspired by. It hasn’t happened because he was lucky. He pushed for every chance to happen.” Tuchel is not developing a long-term squad - he has a mission to win the World Cup next summer. He needs players ready to compete at the top level. Arteta, who reckons MLS can play as a No.6 or 8 in the long-term, said: “That’s what Myles transmits, that willingness to win, that willingness to compete at any level against any opposition regardless of his age. He is very intelligent, very willing and very physical.” The Three Lions boss also revealed talks about the teenager “had a bit of a protective and parental vibe”. Arteta, who was pleased 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri will join the Under-21s, was asked if he felt a similar responsibility towards his young stars. “They have almost the age of my oldest son, so yeah, just for that factor, I can see a lot of similarities,” he agreed. Back in 2012 under Arsene Wenger, Arsenal agreed longterm deals for young British stars Jack Wilshere, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Aaron Ramsey, Kieran Gibbs and Carl Jenkinson. Now Lewis-Skelly and Nwaneri have taken central roles in a first-team already including Declan Rice, Ben White and Bukayo Saka. “It is very important culturally because of our history and we’re an English club, to have that DNA that represents us as a club and then having a lot of academy players as well,” Arteta added. “It attaches people to the football club, it makes them proud. “Everybody wants to see academy players and English players driving and being the face of the football club. It’s really important. “They are doing great and there’s a bright future ahead of them.” Article Name:BEST BY MYLES Publication:Daily Mirror Author:BY NEIL McLEMAN Start Page:2 End Page:2
Daily Mirror 15 Mar 2025 BY NEIL McLEMAN
Mikel Arteta has hailed Myles Lewis-Skelly’s call-up to the senior England squad as a product of his own hard work rather than luck, insisting that the teenager has earned every opportunity that has come his way.
Lewis-Skelly, 18, has enjoyed a meteoric rise at Arsenal, making his senior debut in September’s 2-2 draw with Manchester City and establishing himself as a key part of Arteta’s squad.
Now, he has been rewarded with a place in Thomas Tuchel’s first England squad for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers.
“I was very impressed with him in the States when he came on, for example, against Liverpool as a sub and he started to compete against those guys in the frontline,” Arteta said.
“I was like, ‘We have a player here.’
Myles Lewis-Skelly trains with the Arsenal first team at the Emirates Stadium (Photo via Arsenal on Instagram)
Photo via Arsenal on Instagram
“We are all really, really happy at his call-up because it’s a nice story and a story that gives a lot of hope to a lot of young players – that in six or seven months your career can change dramatically, drastically for the good.
“It’s something for people to be inspired by. **It hasn’t happened because he was lucky. He pushed for every chance to happen.**”
Tuchel’s decision to include Lewis-Skelly in his first squad came amid broader discussions about youth development in the national setup, with the England boss noting that conversations around the teenager’s selection had a “protective and parental vibe.”
LONDON, ENGLAND: Myles Lewis-Skelly of Arsenal stands in-front of Manager Mikel Arteta during the Carabao Cup Quarter Final match between Arsenal and Crystal Palace at Emirates Stadium on December 18, 2024. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images
Arteta, who has worked closely with the 18-year-old since his promotion from the Arsenal Academy, acknowledged that responsibility but stressed that Lewis-Skelly’s performances have made his inclusion unavoidable.
“That’s what Myles transmits – that willingness to win, that willingness to compete at any level against any opposition regardless of his age. He is very intelligent, very willing and very physical.”
The Arsenal manager also highlighted the growing presence of an English core at the club, following in the footsteps of a previous generation under Arsène Wenger, when long-term deals were handed to young British talents like Jack Wilshere, Theo Walcott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and Aaron Ramsey.
Arsenal's british core
Arsenal’s British core
With Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri, who has joined the England Under-21 squad, emerging alongside established stars Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, and Ben White, Arteta believes this identity remains crucial to the club’s ethos.
“It is very important culturally because of our history and we’re an English club, to have that DNA that represents us as a club and then having a lot of academy players as well,” he said.
LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 11: Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri of Arsenal look on after the pre-season friendly match between Arsenal and Olympique Lyonnais at Emirates Stadium on August 11, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images
“It attaches people to the football club, it makes them proud.
“Everybody wants to see academy players and English players driving and being the face of the football club. It’s really important.
“They are doing great and there’s a bright future ahead of them.”
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