Myles Lewis-Skelly’s hands were instinctively drawn to his face as the emotions hit home, his knees sunk into the iconic Wembley pitch as 75,000 England fans rose to their feet.
When he opened his eyes, he would realise that it was not just a dream, he really had just become the youngest-ever England debutant to score in what was the culmination of a whirlwind six months for the 18-year-old.
Lewis-Skelly, who joined Arsenal as an eight-year-old, made his professional debut in September, coming on in the closing stages as his team attempted to hold onto a 2-1 lead at the Etihad Stadium.
The first sign of his character, however, came before he entered the pitch, when he was booked by the referee for bellowing at goalkeeper David Raya, 12 years his senior at the time, to go down and waste time.
The biggest stages have never seemed to bother Lewis-Skelly, who, shortly after, went on to make his Champions League debut against European giants PSG, before he was tasked with marking Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah in just his second-ever Premier League appearance.
When injuries hit Arsenal hard, the youngster seized his chance to infiltrate the first team.
Throughout his time with the academy teams, Lewis-Skelly had been deployed in midfield. His ability to drive forward, leaving defenders in his wake through a combination of excellent ball control and surprising strength, paired with his eye for a pass, made him an obvious choice in the centre of the park.
So when fans saw his name listed in the team sheet for his full senior debut under left-back, there was an element of surprise.
But anyone who has watched Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal can tell you that an Arteta left-back, is no ordinary left-back.
First mastered by Oleksandr Zinchenko upon his arrival in 2022, the Spaniard’s left-back is used virtually as a fourth midfield player, forming a double-pivot with the deepest of the midfield three during build-up.
For Lewis-Skelly, this made a lot of sense. His ability to drift inside, picking up the ball in midfield and turning away from his man, was immediately apparent and his adaptation to the physicality of men’s football was swift, often using his body to invite contact in sticky situations, much to the frustration of his opponents.
What did come as a startling surprise to some, was his defensive dominance.
A start in the North London Derby did not come as a surprise for the fans, but for Lewis-Skelly, a supporter of the club, the sight of his name in the starting XI would have elicited at least a deep breath.
But on the pitch, there was no sign of anything other than sheer determination. His first action was to drive forward, placing a perfect pass through the defence and to the feet of Raheem Sterling, who failed to convert.
And when Arsenal went behind, it was their 18-year-old left-back who seemed hell-bent on getting them back into the game.
His crunching tackle on Pape Sarr, which left the midfielder in a crumpled mess on the floor, sent reverberations around the Emirates Stadium and forced even the most reserved home fans to their feet. The attack that followed resulted in a corner, leading to Arsenal’s equaliser.
Even after Leandro Trossard’s powerful strike had put the Gunners ahead, there was no let-up from Lewis-Skelly. He chased down and outmuscled Dejan Kulusevski, dispossessing him before again dribbling forward, leaving the Swede chasing an inescapable shadow.
Thomas Tuchel, who had likely travelled to the match to observe England regular Declan Rice ahead of his first squad selection, alongside hopefuls James Maddison and Dominic Solanke, was faced with the emergence of a new English hope.
With his name announced over the tannoy and his number raised, Lewis-Skelly made one last impression on home fans who had already fallen in love.
Raising his arms, he roared: “*COME ON!*”
The fans roared back, full of the joy that comes with seeing one of your own pounding the badge and pumping their fist. Particular emotion would have struck those reminded of an 18-year-old Bukayo Saka, who could be seen doing the same five years earlier.
Lewis-Skelly’s true crowning moment would come three weeks later, though, in a match against Manchester City that he may well have missed due to a highly questionable red card dished out by Michael Oliver, had it not been overturned just days later.
This time, the fans would be on their feet to celebrate a goal, rather than a tackle.
With Arsenal narrowly in front, Lewis-Skelly appeared in a more advanced variety of his usual midfield positioning and demanded the ball from Rice.
His teammate duly obliged and Lewis-Skelly instinctively drove towards the box, shifting the ball onto his weaker right foot before curling towards the far corner, the ball taking a touch from the goalkeeper before rebounding off the post and hitting the net.
The stadium exploded but Lewis-Skelly, having stuck the knife in, now wanted to twist it.
He dropped to the floor, mimicking Erling Haaland’s meditation celebration. Presumably, a response to an interaction between the two following Lewis-Skelly’s first-team debut, when the Norwegian striker had asked the youngster: “*Who the **** are you?*”
In fairness to Haaland, many people did not know who Lewis-Skelly was six months ago. But like the Norwegian, left red-faced by his opponent in North London, they do now.
Arsenal would go on to win 5-1 on the day, with close friend and fellow Hale End graduate, Ethan Nwaneri, also finding himself on the score sheet.
Six weeks later, Tuchel would name Lewis-Skelly among the players selected for his first England squad.
Speaking about his decision, the German said: “We were always impressed with Myles and he quickly became a regular player for the second best team in the country.
“*I have huge confidence in the club that they still pick him regularly, and he has been very impressive from the very start.*”
A week later, Tuchel would pick Lewis-Skelly in his first starting-line up, and the 18-year-old would score the first goal under his new manager, latching on to an incisive Jude Bellingham pass to keep his composure and slot through the goalkeeper’s legs.
As he emerged from the flock of congratulatory teammates, his hands briefly returned to his head as the reality of an other-worldly moment likely hit him.
Yet there is no anxiety for what is still to come, for beyond Lewis-Skelly’s youthful bewilderment, remains the same fearless determination present in the booked Arsenal substitute just six months ago.