Neil Banfield has guided a number of talented youngsters towards the senior Arsenal side during his time with the Club. Here, the newly-appointed first-team coach runs the rule over some of the players who caught his eye during the 2011/12 campaign.
on players breaking through…
It is always a real pleasure to see young lads come into the academy from Europe and graduate into the first-team changing room and then play. It is a real sense that we have achieved and done our job.
on Francis Coquelin's development…
I think Francis has done excellently. He has come over from France and settled in great, played ever so well and won the FA Youth Cup in 2009. He has developed into a multi-positional player. He has played at right back, and in midfield. He is very strong, and the future is bright for him. He has done ever so well in the first team.
I think at the moment he would say his best position is central midfield, but I have to say I have been mightily impressed when he has played at full back. In the coming seasons he will find his niche. It is up to him now, once you're in that dressing room the world is your oyster. You have to keep focused, keep working really hard and get to 100 or 150 appearances for the first team. Then you can say that you have made it.
on Emmanuel Frimpong…
Manny is a very strong individual. He is an exceptional lad, and we really like him. He has a bit of character and has gone into the first team and taken it by storm. His strength is his strength and he is very committed. He is a born winner and wants to win on every occasion and the first team have taken him into their hearts as well. Hopefully he will get over this little blip of his injury and he will come back stronger and force his way into the first team next season.
on his personality helping during his rehabilitation…
He was very concerned about it. But with the medical care they get, and the backing they get in rehabilitation, because he has come through it once he knows he can do it again and come back stronger. They all need help in different ways and reassurance from within the Club. He is in good hands and I am sure he will come back fitter and stronger to fight for the Club next season.
on Ryo…
Ryo has come over and done ever so well. He had a period where he found it a bit tough, with the demands we were putting on him, but as his character is, he fought hard. He trained with the first team and went on loan to Bolton and has done well there. We will sit down in the summer and have a plan for all of our young players, and it will be the manager's decision whether to bring him back or send him out on loan again if he feels he needs another year before he is ready for Arsenal. But he has done extremely well at Bolton.
on scouting reports on Ryo…
He has a good team ethic and individually he has done really well at times. He found it tough at times, but that is why they go out as well. it is about learning and he has come through it and found a way to establish himself in Bolton's first team. I think another year for him next season would be good development for him. It depends how he comes back in pre-season and if the manager gauges whether he should stay here and play in the first-team squad.
on Nico Yennaris…
He has done really well at full back, some may not think of him as a natural full back but I have always been impressed with him there. We call him a slow burner, he suddenly lights. He has done ever so well, he got involved with the first-team squad and I think the manager was pleased with his performances. I think he will be in the category that the manager might think needs another year out on loan. It is all the manager's decision.
on Ignasi Miquel…
We have already had Francis and Manny who have gone into the first team, and then just under them we have people like Iggy, Chuks Aneke and Nico Yennaris, who have all been out on loan. Iggy has done ever so well, took his chance with the first team and is another one we are really delighted with.
on the next crop…
The Club is very, very strong behind the first team. Not in every age group, but we have groups of players in every age group who are really interesting and have chances. it is now up to us to put them together and try to develop them into the first team. In every group we have four or five that you think could possibly make our first-team squad, and another three or four who could possibly have a career. The Club is fantastically well run and is in a really healthy position, but it is up to the players. They have to push on and work hard as it is such a high level at the Club.