We all know about the likes of Bukayo Saka and Ethan Nwaneri, the Hale End graduates shining in Arsenal‘s first team.
We’re also well aware of the Arsenal academy graduates who have established themselves as solid Premier League players elsewhere, such as Emiliano Martinez, Alex Iwobi and Joe Willock.
But what about the one-time Hale End starlets who dropped off the radar? We’ve picked out five Arsenal academy graduates you (probably) didn’t realise are still playing for non-league clubs.
Gavin Hoyte
Son of British Olympian sprinter Wendy Hoyte and younger brother of Invincibles fringe player Justin, Hale End graduate Gavin broke through in the late noughties and made four Premier League appearances for Arsene Wenger’s Gunners.
The defender was frequently loaned away and eventually joined Dagenham & Redbridge after being released by his parent club in 2012. That kicked off a respectable career in the lower reaches of the English football pyramid, culminating in him earning three caps for Trinidad and Tobago a decade ago.
After moving around, he spent a settled five years with Maidstone United, making over 150 appearances for the club and captaining the side as they flitted between the National League South and National League.
The 34-year-old was released last summer and has since joined Isthmian League Premier Division club Folkestone Invicta.
Craig Eastmond
Part of the Gunners’ Under-18s side that reached the 2009 FA Youth Cup final alongside the likes of Emmanuel Frimpong, Francis Coquelin and Jack Wilshere, Eastmond never quite made it beyond the periphery of Wenger’s first-team set-up.
The right-back made four Premier League appearances for his boyhood club but left for Colchester United in the summer of 2013 after impressing on loan.
Eastmond later became a stalwart at Sutton United, featuring in their memorable run to the FA Cup fifth round in 2016-17 and captaining them to their first-ever promotion to the Football League in 2020-21.
After nine years and well over 300 appearances for the club, Eastmond received a hero’s farewell last summer. He’s since joined Wealdstone FC.
Samir Carruthers
You might remember the midfielder emerging as one to watch at Aston Villa alongside Jack Grealish over a decade ago.
But prior to joining Villa’s youth ranks, Carruthers spent four years developing his skills at Hale End as a teenager. He never quite nailed down his spot like Grealish, some way off ever reaching the heights of a £100million transfer.
The midfielder spent subsequent years in the Football League – MK Dons, Sheffield United, Oxford United, Cambridge United before dropping down to the non-league level in 2020.
Carruthers has represented Hemel Hempstead Town, Chelmsford and Dartford, whom he rejoined for a second stint last summer.
He’s scored eight goals so far this season for the Isthmian League table-toppers.
Alex Kirk
If you kept tabs on Arsenal’s loanees last season, you might’ve noticed the role Kirk played in Bromley’s promotion to the Football League – the first time in their 132-year history.
The Hale End youngster was brought off the bench in the play-off final against Solihull Moors last season, twice hitting the woodwork before winning on penalties under former Arsenal goalkeeping coach Andy Woodman.
Bromley opted against signing the 21-year-old defender on a permanent deal after he was released by Arsenal in the summer. Kirk went on to sign for National League side Sutton United, who are coached by former Millwall striker Steve Morison.
Tobi Omole
Once a regular in Arsenal’s Under-18s and Under-21s, Omole made headlines for opting to join arch rivals Tottenham following his release in 2020.
The versatile youngster went on to spend two years with Spurs and was promoted to first-team training but reportedly rejected a contract offer before he was allowed to depart on a free.
That summer he joined League Two Crawley Town but struggled for regular opportunities.
Last week he joined the aforementioned Eastmond at Wealdstone FC. He made his debut on Tuesday in a 3-1 defeat to Aldershot Town, introduced off the bench alongside familiar faces Mustapha Carayol and Adrian Mariappa. Some squad, that.
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