Feature

Jordi Osei-Tutu

Young Gun: Osei-Tutu
Jordi Osei-Tutu

In Young Guns, featured first in the official matchday programme, we find out about the next generation of Arsenal youngsters, in their own words. This week we spoke to midfielder Jordi Osei-Tutu.

I joined Arsenal from Reading in the summer but my first club was Wickham Wanderers. When I was six or seven I played for a Sunday side near our home in Beaconsfield called Holtspur. I was with them for almost a season when a scout from Wickham asked me to join them.

I had to play with the under- nines because they didn’t have an under-sevens team. That suited me because I’d always played with people older than me.

"I’m working hard now on improving my heading, one on ones and passing"

Jordi Osei-Tutu

I used to go to the park when I was four with my brother, who’s four years older than me, and our cousin, who’s four years older than my brother. They never used to hold back, so I got used to having to tackle hard and using strength very early on.

I enjoy tackling and to this day I credit that to playing above my age when I was younger.

My brother was also playing for Wickham at the same time as I was but he was released when I was nine and I decided to leave Wickham too.

I was asked by a Reading scout to join them but because I was still registered with Wickham I wasn’t able to play any competitive games until I was in the under-12s team.

I’d always played as a right winger because of my pace but when I was with the under-13s I was switched to right back for one training session because the regular full back wasn’t available.

I did well and I’ve played there ever since. It’s a position I really enjoy because you are always involved in attack and defence and I am able to use my pace.

It can be even more of an attacking job than playing on the wing. When I played as a right winger at Reading they used to encourage wingers to cut inside, whereas the full backs would be encouraged to get forward and deliver crosses into the box.

 

Jordi Osei-Tutu

Jordi Osei-Tutu

 

Last season my dad was approached by someone from Arsenal but I knew nothing about the club’s interest until May. My parents wanted to ensure I did as well as I could for Reading without any distractions, and the same with my GCSEs too.

I was really happy when I found out. Joining Arsenal and signing a professional is my proudest achievement to date, and that has encouraged me to keep improving.

I’m working hard now on improving my heading, one on ones and passing. Clipped balls to the strikers, bending in passes along the line into the path of right wingers are used more by full backs and I work hard on developing the quality and accuracy of my distribution. I hope to do well enough to feature with the Under-21s before the end of the season.

Three of each

...positions I can play in

1 Full back
2 Right wing
3 Centre back

...best aspects of my game

1 Defending
2 Forward runs
3 Pace

...things I can improve on

1 Positioning
2 Heading
3 Communication

... players I’m similar to

1 Dani Alves
2 Maicon
3 Hector Bellerin

...footballing heroes

1 Ronaldinho
2 Lionel Messi
3 Andres Iniesta

 

Ronaldinho

Ronaldinho

 

...favourite foods

1 Pizza (margherita)
2 Chicken, rice and peas
3 Pasta and meatballs

...best friends in football

1 Gabriel Osho
2 Jack Denton
3 Tom McIntyre

...most used Apps on your phone

1 Instagram
2 Soundcloud
3 Snapchat

...favourite TV series

1 Empire
2 Prison Break
3 Breaking Bad

...tracks on your ultimate playlist

1 Young Thug, With That
2 MoStack, Rich Not Famous
3 Krept & Konan, So Easy

See Full List

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