Nketiah: Life inside our dressing room

As a striker, Eddie is used to being a focal point of the team. It’s always been that way. Back when he was playing for his first ever club side, Hillyfielders in south-east London, he led the line as a reliable No. 9.

His goalscoring record at that level, as you might expect, was hugely impressive. And he’s not stopped scoring since. But Eddie’s main memories of that time are just like any other nine-year-old – having fun and being around your mates.

He still looks back fondly on those embryonic days of his career, but says he’s been lucky enough to enjoy a friendly team spirit and family atmosphere throughout his time in football – and none more so as part of the current team.

But what was it like where it all began? “Hillyfielders was a really nice club,” he begins. “I loved it there. I was there from under-8s to under-9s, before I got scouted. So not long, but I’ve got some great memories from there, it’s one of my most enjoyable times.

“I played as a striker, always a striker. I was pretty prolific to be fair! I can’t remember a game I didn’t get on the scoresheet at that age.

"It was funny actually, because some games I used to get there a bit late as I would always go to church on Sundays. So I would arrive just before kick-off, and the manager was never happy with that, but then I would play and always score so that made up for it!

“It was a great team spirit though, we all got on really well and in fact, I still speak to a couple of the players today.”

With the future all-time record goalscorer for England under-21s leading the line, it’s no surprise to learn Hillyfielders were a successful side during Eddie’s time, but he says none of his teammates went on to make it professionally.

“From my particular age group, no, none of them went on to play, but the age group above me, a few players did quite well. Some of them got to a decent academy level and stuff like that. It was a good crowd though, and I’m going back to see them very soon in fact to do some work together. It’s nice to know they are proud of me.

“They have always been really supportive and see me as one of their own. I’m really proud to be a part of that family.

“We had a centre-back who was very good, his name was Ayo and he got scouted by Charlton. He was really good and I remember a few teams looking at him, he was a really good player. At that age though it’s not always obvious who can go on and achieve something. It’s a long career, it’s difficult and you need things to go your way. Everyone doesn't always have the same opportunities, but we had quite a few decent players in that team. We used to win a lot.”

So as the main man, was Eddie made captain too? “No, I was the striker and the number 9, but I wasn't captain or anything like that. I don’t think it would have looked too good if the captain turned up late for every game!

“I played for Lewisham district as well,” he adds, “when I was about seven or eight. At that level we had a lot of good players. The level was very high. We had a player called Jaden Brown, who went to play pro as well. He was at Sheffield Wednesday last season. Quite a few of the players went on to do something in football.”

I would arrive just before kick-off, and the manager was never happy with that, but then I would play and always score so that made up for it!

As well as starting to learn his trade as a goalscorer, this was the first experience Eddie had of being part of a team and learning to live and work with others.

It’s a part of the sport he says he particularly enjoys, and one of the friendships he struck up in his early days at Chelsea has recently been rekindled – he spent five years in the same youth team as Declan Rice.

“A lot of the boys all grew up around the same area, so you knew them well away from football too,” he explains. “You all helped each other out, and your parents might drop your friends in, or your friends’ parents would take you and vice-versa. Especially when you move to an academy, it’s a bit further away to travel.

“I was at Chelsea from the age of nine so it was quite a journey. The boys who came in from similar areas like south-east London, Lewisham, would come in together. We’d get the train together or one of the parents would drop us. It made us closer as friends and was good fun. We all grew up as one big family.

"We’d go on tour together, our parents and family would be around together all the time, so we all got to know each other, and obviously Deccers was part of that too. That’s why we have such a good relationship now. We’ve got a lot of memories together, I know his dad and he knows my parents too. It’s a big family that always stays with you.”

Fast forward nine years from when Eddie joined the Arsenal Academy, and he is now enjoying that same family feeling within the current first-team squad. Though he admits it helps having played youth team football with not only Declan, but the likes of Reiss Nelson, Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe as well.

“I think I've got a good relationship with everyone,” he says. “Probably particularly Reiss. I’ve obviously played with him for a long time, and also Bukayo too. The Hale Ends boys basically. We’ve all done the same journey, we can relate to each other. So I’ve got a good relationship with everyone but if I had to pick one, I’d say Reiss, he’s like a brother to me.

"But I think it’s a good thing about this group. We are all really together, really feel like a family and we get along, you know? We hang out outside of football as well, so it's really good.”

An ingredient of a successful and effective team though, Eddie believes, is not only the similarities within the group, but the diversity and mixture of personalities.

“You get to learn people's characteristics and I think a team complements each other. It helps that a lot of us are of a similar age, we’re still young and coming into our prime, and we can relate to each other too. We have certain things that we can chat about and relate to, and we have some good characters in the group.

"Obviously, everyone has different personalities, but it all gels into one at the end of the day. We all want to do the same thing which is to help the club win. But the diversity in football teams I think is amazing, just amazing. I think Arsenal has always been good for that.

"We have players from different nationalities, speaking different languages in the dressing room. It’s good for us too because you can obviously pick up little bits from them here and there. For myself too, to learn about different cultures. I like to bring my culture to it too. So I think that's what's really good that we can all mix and integrate, and also respect each other's cultures and learn about each other to get more about each other.”

the diversity in football teams I think is amazing, just amazing. I think Arsenal has always been good for that.

Eddie is in the minority in the current squad for never having played for a foreign team, even on loan, so has he learnt much foreign language in our dressing room?

“I’ve picked up a few words, I don’t know if they are all good though! Personally I want to learn a few more languages myself. When I get the time to do it I definitely want to study that.

“We learn a lot from each other’s backgrounds too,” he continues. “If I go to France for example, I’ll speak to Wilo, things like that. He tells me the places to see. I was asking Cedric about Portugal too recently, it’s always like that. We always help each other if anyone needs anything, the medical staff and backroom staff too. We have that kind of relationship. It makes it a much more enjoyable place to call work and to call home.”

Eddie says that the squad enjoy frequent team bonding exercises throughout the season, to help maintain that happy spirit, and bring everybody closer together. These can vary from team barbecues to group activities, though his favourite was a puzzle-based game all the players took part in last year.

“We've had a few good ones,” he smiles. “We went to Crystal Maze last season. It was a different experience for me, I haven't done something like that myself, so it was good to do, it was good fun and you get to spend time with your teammates not just at football. It gives people the chance to show a bit more of themselves, and it will help you express yourself, and that can translate to the pitch as well. I love those sort of things, I think all of us do.”

Now a firmly established member of the Arsenal squad, with more than 100 appearances to his name, what does team spirit mean to the 24-year-old?

“To me it means unity,” he states. “Sticking together through everything. Through winning, through losing – you be together. And just creating a good environment to work in and to succeed in. That's what team spirit means to me.

“My role in that is just being myself. Being the best version of myself every day and contributing on the pitch, off the pitch, encouraging people and playing at the best of my ability. I always want the best for myself and for my teammates.”

And when it comes to examples and inspirations of legendary teams, Eddie says he doesn’t have to look very far.

He may have only been four years old when the Invincibles won the Premier League title in 2004, but he says that everybody at the club is fully aware of that achievement, from the academy onwards.

“Of course we are. Obviously that's an amazing team, what they achieved, no-one else has ever been able to repeat. It’s something so special I think, and to have that kind of history behind the club is important for us as players. A lot of my favourite players probably came from that era.

"For myself, I always looked up to Thierry and we all take inspiration from that team. I hope one day that we can be involved in a team that goes on to achieve more history here. They set the standard that we all try to reach together."