Bukayo Saka has responded to the dream international debut for Arsenal teammate Myles Lewis-Skelly as he made an immediate impact on his England bow.
After making his breakthrough into the Arsenal first-team squad this season, the 18-year-old was called up to the Three Lions’ squad for the first time by new manager Thomas Tuchel for the World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Latvia.
Not only did his performances for Arsenal earn him a place in the squad, but also a place in the starting line-up vs Albania at Wembley Stadium on Friday night. The game was Tuchel’s first in charge of the nation.
With Albania set-up to frustrate England, it was Lewis-Skelly who made the breakthrough in the 20th minute.
The full-back’s run was found by Jude Bellingham, with him finishing under the goalkeeper to make it a dream debut.
One player who may have been on the pitch with him if it wasn’t for injury is Saka. But that didn’t stop the Arsenal man sending Lewis-Skelly a message following his goal.
The official England Instagram account shared pictures of Lewis-Skelly celebrating his goal, along with the caption: “The youngest even player in history to score on his Three Lions debut.”
That post was shared by Saka on his Instagram stories, where he wrote: “Young king,” with a crown emoji. Arsenal’s official account also commented on the England post with: “Some debut.”
England doubled their lead through captain Harry Kane in the second half as they came out as 2-0 winners. They are back in action on Monday night when they take on Albania (7.45pm kick-off).
Following the game, Tuchel praised both Lewis-Skelly’s character and talent. "He is such an open character," he said.
"He was amazing in camp. Full of confidence, full of humour. You see everything on the pitch, off the pitch.
"He does it with a natural confidence. That's how he plays football. Full of courage and quality. He was decisive and opened this game for us."
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Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Jesus with the Arsenal Therapy Dog Win during the Arsenal Men's team group shoot at London Colney on September 18, 2023
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