The rise and rise of Bukayo Saka
As Bukayo Saka pledges his future to the club he has called home for more than half his life, we speak to prominent figures from his Arsenal journey so far…
By Josh James
The debut
Only 7,751 people can say they were there.
On a freezing cold night in the Ukraine capital on November 29, 2018, Arsenal – and a select band of supporters – were in town for a Europa League group stage match, against Vorskla Poltava.
The game itself was an impressive 3-0 win to secure top spot in the group with a matchday to spare, but the fixture is now more significant for being the moment that Bukayo Saka was unleashed into first-team football.
Just a few weeks past his 17th birthday, Bukayo – wearing the number 87 shirt – was summoned from the bench by Unai Emery for the final 22 minutes or so.
During a lively debut, the young winger gave more than a glimpse of what was to come, nearly marking the occasion with a goal shortly after his introduction.
He had become the 862nd player in history to represent the first team, and the 15th youngest debutant for the club. But Bukayo’s Arsenal story didn’t start that night in Kyiv’s Olympic Stadium.
It began nearly 10 years earlier, when he joined our Hale End academy at the age of eight. Since then, the Ealing-born forward’s career has been on an upward trajectory that has propelled him to true superstar status.
It didn’t happen overnight. Bukayo’s development has been the result of an unflinching work ethic – from himself and those around him at the club.
And what’s more, at just 21 years of age, time is definitely still on his side.
The beginNing
Bukayo Saka is a true product of the Hale End Academy. After training and playing with the club as part of the pre-academy, he signed his first official forms with the club on May 5, 2010, aged eight, joining the youngest age group at Hale End, the under-nines.
Emile Smith Rowe joined the club that same month – albeit two year groups above – while the likes of Reiss Nelson, Joe Willock, Alex Iwobi and Ainsley Maitland-Niles were already in the system.
Back in 2010 Roy Massey was in charge of Hale End, overseeing 120 budding young players at the facility, all under the guidance of then-head of youth development Liam Brady.
The vision they had when the academy was set up more than 10 years earlier was starting to come to fruition – Jack Wilshere had already worked his way through the ranks to become the club’s then-youngest player a couple of years earlier, and the production line was only becoming more proficient.
It soon became apparent that in young Bukayo, there was another potential first-team star in the pipeline.
“Even as a very young boy, and I remember him as an under-11, we had a pathway to look after him,” Liam says. “We had coaches and staff who did a great job of recruiting these boys originally, and then looking after them.
“I remember him at that age. He was always very fast, but muscular with it, powerful, and as he got older he quickly added the football intelligence that you need at the top level.
“And not only could he score goals, but he also joined in the combination play with everybody on the pitch. He was on the same wavelength as the best players – basically what he is now: a goalscorer and assister.”
Luke Hobbs
“They were talking about squad numbers for the season, and I don’t know how they were decided, maybe alphabetical order, but they were really worried that this lad called Bukayo Saka would have to be No. 3 and what would his family think of that. They were saying this kid is a top player, would he be annoyed having a defensive number?
“All I remember thinking is ‘this kid must be pretty good if we are worried about what number to give him!’”
Liam would leave his role in May 2014, but by then Luke Hobbs had joined the youth team staff from Southend United, originally as under-14 coach, just as Bukayo was stepping up a level.
“I joined in 2013, and I remember the first time I heard his name,” Luke begins. “It was my first week at the club and Roy Massey was chatting to Steve Leonard, who took the under-15s but was also responsible for the kit.
“They were talking about squad numbers for the season, and I don’t know how they were decided, maybe alphabetical order, but they were really worried that this lad called Bukayo Saka would have to be No. 3 and what would his family think of that. They were saying this kid is a top player, would he be annoyed having a defensive number?
“All I remember thinking is: ‘this kid must be pretty good if we are worried about what number to give him!’
“But actually I can say for certain that neither Bukayo nor his family were not the type of people to complain about a squad number – completely the opposite. Bukayo and Yemi, his dad, would never be precious about that at all.”
Starting to shine
It didn’t take long for Luke – now the head of academy coaching at Arsenal – to understand why there was so much discussion around this young player though.
“Bukayo was 11 when I came to Arsenal and my first experience working with him was for the under-12s at a Premier League futsal tournament,” Luke explains. “It’s five-a-side, indoors, loads of touches, it’s a good programme. Anyway, we won the qualifiers comfortably and made it to the national competition in Leeds.
“As the lead coach I took the group that weekend. I came into it with a really open approach. I had 10 players and would literally put five on for the first half of the 12-minute games, then put the other five on for the last six minutes, and give everyone an opportunity. I didn’t see it as a win-at-all-costs thing.
“So we did that, and got to the final against Chelsea. I put Bukayo’s team on first, and then took them off at half-time, with us winning. Chelsea obviously had a good team too and they brought it back to 3-3, and I remember thinking: ‘if I want to win this, I need to put Bukayo back on.’
“So whether it was right or wrong in terms of my methods, I put him back on, and before you know it he’d made it 4-3, then 5-3, then straight into the top corner - 6-3. They couldn’t get the ball off him! So we lifted the trophy and had a nice journey back!
“I remember that moment well, but despite him winning the game for us, there was no arrogance at all from him.”
The next season, when Bukayo was part of the under-13s age group, is when he started to gain experience playing in other positions, mainly at left-back, which would prove useful during his early days in the first team, some six years later.
At this time Bukayo would regularly ‘play up’ in the older age group - Luke’s under-14s - to help his development. And the coaching team were never afraid to test his capabilities: one of his early runouts at full-back was on the wide open spaces of the Wembley pitch, in a full 11 v 11 game.
“Primarily he was always a forward player, absolutely,” Luke continues. “But quite often on a Saturday I would speak to Yemi and tell him I wanted Bukayo to play up an age group that weekend, and that was all fine.
“I was always very open and would say that he would be playing at left-back. His dad was always: ‘yep, no problem Luke, if he plays an age group up, that’s a good experience for him.’
“The way we play though, our full-backs still see a lot of the ball. He’s playing against older boys, which at that age can make a difference, but our thought process was to give him the ball so he can run into space and be our first attacking threat down that side.
“Actually the first time Bukayo played at Wembley would have been at left-back. That season we had a Nike Trophy for players born in 2001. The qualifiers were at St George’s Park and we beat Liverpool in the semis.
“Then we ended up playing Reading in the national final at Wembley Stadium. Our forward players in our team were Tyreece John-Jules, Flo Balogun, Xavier Ameachi and Trae Coyle – all top talents who were in the age group above Bukayo.
“They were my front four at Wembley that day, so Bukayo played left-back. He did a really good job, we won 1-0 and lifted the trophy. He was really, really effective in that position.
“I’d be lying if I said about any player at 11, 12, 13 that they are going to be a superstar. It’s too early to tell. But with Bukayo, I think when he was 15, playing for the national team and for us at under-16, and consistently performing in the big games against the big teams, dominating them, then you start thinking: ‘this kid could do it.’”
“I put Bukayo’s team on first, and then took them off at half-time, with us winning. Chelsea obviously had a good team too and they brought it back to 3-3, and I remember thinking ‘if I want to win this, I need to put Bukayo back on.’”
Leaving Hale End
In 2018, aged 16, Bukayo’s time at Hale End came to an end. He, along with 11 others, were offered full-time scholarship forms with the club, and he was now to be based at London Colney day-to-day.
“During his under-14 season, we had high expectations for him, so we offered him a scholarship early,” Luke reveals.
“I was interim academy manager at the time, and they had 28 days to get back to us after the offer. But Yemi came in the next week and said they were happy to sign.
“That was it, as simple as that. There was never any question about him staying at Arsenal throughout his younger years. During my time at Hale End, we never had to deal with an agent around him, it was just all very calm, dealing with his dad, which I think is so important.
“Bukayo was playing for England under-15s at the time and we are not daft, if you are a top talent at Arsenal at 13, 14 or 15, your phone will ring and there will be other deals offered I’m sure. But his family always kept that very calm and deserve big credit for that.
“I think that’s a big part of his journey if I’m being honest. He was just a great kid, we never ever had a problem with him. Whenever we took him away or abroad or there were never any issues with him. He was always very humble.”
Those eight years at Hale End were certainly formative years, and in many ways he’s the poster boy for what the club are striving to achieve at the academy.
“What tells you everything about Bukayo is what he did with his shirt from that breakthrough game against Frankfurt. The next day he brought it back to us at Hale End and presented it to us as a gift. A meaningful shirt in which he scored his first goal, brought back to us where it all started. It’s now on display in the entry hall for everyone to see.”
“We talk about strong young Gunners, and he’s the role model,” says academy manager Per Mertesacker. “Within our club, he inspires the staff, the young players, and everyone to get better. He inspires not just with what he does on the pitch, but with his behaviour, and what he does in the community. It’s really amazing that we can show parents of young players Bukayo’s pathway as an example of what we mean when we say we want to create strong young Gunners.
“We are proud, and it’s important for us, that we have helped build someone within our own environment to get to the top.
“When he got to the top he’s dealt with challenges. He’s rising to all these challenges, with everything that happens to him. Grabbing his opportunities, sometimes getting knocked down, missing a penalty, dealing with online abuse. He’s risen to all these challenges and that’s what epitomises strong young Gunners. He’s an inspiration for us.”
And Bukayo has certainly never forgotten his time at Hale End. Once he progressed to London Colney he was soon involved with the first team, making his senior debut while still technically in his first year as a scholar.
He started the following season by netting his first goal in a Europa League tie away to Eintracht Frankfurt, in September 2019. A red-letter day for the teenager for sure, but there was only one thing on his mind afterwards.
“What tells you everything about Bukayo is what he did with his shirt from that breakthrough game against Frankfurt,” Per says. “The next day he brought it back to us at Hale End and presented it to us as a gift. A meaningful shirt in which he scored his first goal, brought back to us where it all started. It’s now on display in the entry hall for everyone to see.
“That’s him, he respects the journey that he’s been on, it means a lot to him and he doesn’t forget it."
Per adds: “When you look at him, you see how respectful, how humble he is, but on the other hand how committed and consistent he is. From day one that never changed. That’s what we are most proud of because he has built a really positive energy around him. People admired and liked him, and those around him wanted him to do well, but he created that all himself.
“He ingrained himself fully with the club at the academy and that made him somewhat special, and we think it’s important for everyone to be like that.
“He doesn’t forget his journey, and whenever I see him I get a warm feeling. You can feel how much he wants to say hello to every staff member, especially in the academy and the boys. He stays connected, and he’s always receptive, for whatever feedback. Whenever I see him at the training ground, in the restaurant or whatever, he acknowledges people and that’s what I love. He never forgets the people who were part of his story.”
Joining the first team
Before that breakthrough game in Frankfurt, Bukayo had taken his first steps in senior football at the start of 2018/19.
A new era was beginning at the club. Arsène Wenger had left in the summer of 2018 after 22 years in charge, and in came Unai Emery as our first new manager this century. It was all change in the youth department too; Per was installed as academy manager and Freddie Ljungberg was made head coach of the under-23s. The Swede had previously coached our under-15s and under-19s, so already had a working relationship with Bukayo.
“When we employed Freddie Ljungberg as under-15 head coach, his belief in Bukayo was huge, absolutely huge,” Luke says.
“That helped Bukayo when he first came to London Colney full-time. Freddie knew his game and that certainly benefitted the transition from being a first-year scholar to the under-23s. Freddie also had a good relationship with Unai Emery, and that helped promote him too.”
Unai had already given Emile Smith Rowe his debut in the Europa League group stage, and when it came to matchday five – with top spot up for grabs – he looked even deeper into the academy ranks and named Bukayo in the matchday squad for the first time.
Max Jones worked for the Arsenal media team at the time and was also part of that trip to cover our match against Vorskla Poltava.
“There was a lot of excitement around covering those Europa League games because you wanted to see the next player breaking through,” Max recalls. “I had worked at the club for a while, and started by covering the youth games, so I was aware of some of those youngsters. The likes of Charlie Gilmour and Tyreece John-Jules were also on the bench, but there was a younger lad travelling for the first time.
“I saw his name on the travelling squad and it took me a while to remember where I had first heard the name Bukayo Saka, then it came to me. I had interviewed Reiss Nelson a couple of years earlier about the FA Youth Cup, and afterwards I was just chatting about which of the younger players would make it from the group coming through. He told me Bukayo was better than anyone else he had seen at that age. So obviously his name stuck with me, and I was excited to see him play.”
Max – and the other 7,000 or so hardy souls inside the 70,000-capacity Olympic Stadium – had to wait until the 68th minute for Bukayo’s introduction, as the temperature plummeted to -14C. He was 17 years and 86 days old, making him our 15th youngest player ever at the time.
Just six minutes after coming on Bukayo, playing on the left wing, was set up by a long-raking pass by Mohamed Elneny. He controlled instantly, deceived his defender with a stepover then blasted goalwards with his left foot, only to be denied by the keeper at the near post.
A bright cameo then, in which he also set up a chance for Joe Willock, but Max was just as impressed with what he saw from Bukayo off the pitch.
“I remember him coming on and having a shot straight away, and you think ‘OK there’s something about this kid, he’s not scared.’
“I have to say though, from my point of view covering the game, what I really remember was his maturity. The media department get to travel with the team, so what we do is get on the plane first, and head to the back out of the way. But Bukayo – and in fact all the young players – came down to the back of the plane and shook everyone’s hands.
“Then after the game he did this great interview with BT Sport, and showed so much character and personality, telling the interviewer how his parents made sure he was in bed early and things like that. I remember listening to that interview afterwards, thinking that there was something about him. To connect with an interviewer like that in a post-match interview at that age is incredibly rare, and was very impressive.”
