Ayden Heaven was handed his Arsenal debut against Preston North End on Wednesday evening.
Having impressed for Arsenal during their pre-season tour in the US, Ayden Heaven has now been afforded his competitive debut by Mikel Arteta.
The teenage defender was introduced from the bench with ten minutes to go and the Gunners already 3-0 up at Deepdale Stadium.
With the game all but won at this stage, with the North London club having been dominant throughout this EFL Cup clash, Heaven was never going to be hugely tested defensively, but he will still be delighted to have made his senior bow.
The 18-year-old will be hoping for further involvements this season. Arsenal have been drawn against Crystal Palace in the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup, and Arteta will likely rotate his side once again for that fixture, meaning Heaven could feature.
Arteta has praised Heaven in the past, and the Hale End gem is clearly highly thought of within the club.
However, it is difficult for centre-backs to establish themselves at the highest level whilst still so young, and with the likes of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes established at the Emirates Stadium, the notion of having to break into the first team on a regular basis in that part of the pitch is a daunting prospect.
Ayden Heaven opens up about advice of Mikel Arteta and Arsenal staff
Despite the challenge facing him at Arsenal, Heaven clearly backs himself to succeed.
Speaking after his debut against Preston North End, as quoted by the official Arsenal website, the England under-19 international discussed his self-belief, as well as the instructions he received from Arteta and his coaches on the sidelines before making his way onto the pitch.
He said: “They said do your thing basically. They showed me what I had to do on set pieces and I’m confident in my ability anyway, so I knew I was going to have a good game when I came on.”
Hale End prospects at Arsenal
Heaven is not the only exciting youngster currently on the books at Arsenal. Josh Nichols and Maldini Kacurri both made their debuts earlier this season.
However, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri are the Hale End academy gems who have enjoyed the most first team exposure and generated the most excitement.
Arsenal fans were thrilled by Nwaneri against Preston, as the 17-year-old struck a stunning goal from range. He and Lewis-Skelly are well on the way to establishing themselves as regulars in the side now.
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