Bukayo Saka reveals what he always does when he meets Arsenal’s academy players, it means ‘everything’

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Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka is one of the finest talents to emerge from the Hale End academy.

In 2018, Arsenal fans started to get an idea of who Saka really was, as the forward was handed a chance by Unai Emery.

Since then, neither the Englishman nor his club have looked back, as the 23-year-old continues to shine in north London.

Thierry Henry always noticed Saka’s ability in the academy despite the Londoner not being the most talked about at the time, taking the right steps on his road to development.

• READ MORE: Arsenal’s shocking starting XI from Bukayo Saka’s debut

Bukayo Saka aims to give back to Arsenal’s academy

Rising through the ranks of a Premier League academy is not for the faint-hearted, being a high-pressure setting where the results are life-changing.

For Saka, the winger made his presence known when given the chance to impress at senior level, making the Emirates his own as he developed into a crucial player.

Now with 250 appearances for Arsenal under his belt, Saka looks back on his time at Hale End fondly, never forgetting where he came from.

Such was echoed when the winger spoke to Arsenal’s media team about his early memories of the Emirates, reminiscing about a heart-warming story including Chuba Akpom.

“I will always remember when I got Chuba’s shirt after a game once. It was after he came on in a game at Emirates Stadium,” Saka explained to Arsenal’s official website. 

“He [Akpom] knows, because he was at Hale End, and I know because I was there too – we know where the Hale End boys sit in the stadium. So afterwards, when he heard us all screaming his name, he threw his shirt to us and I was the one who got it!”

Saka cited that he was ‘so happy’ that day, leading him to express his desire to always give back to those at Hale End where possible.

“Stuff like that sticks with you, so that’s why, after the games at the Emirates, if I see the Hale End boys I always try to give them my boots or my shorts or something.

“I know what it means. For us, it might be a little thing, but as a kid it can mean everything.”

Saka has walked the path that so many in Arsenal’s academy strive to follow, with the next generation already breaking into Mikel Arteta’s first team. 

• READ MORE: Bukayo Saka says three Hale End stars were his idols – one of them played just 12 games for Arsenal

Saka supports Arsenal academy graduates

Arteta has handed minutes to several academy hopefuls this term, as well as graduating star duo Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri. 

It’s not only the Arsenal manager who impacts the youngsters, but those in the squad too, as teenager Nwaneri explained. 

Nwaneri applauded Saka’s support for academy players, revealing that the winger takes time to help those on the journey to making it as a professional at Arsenal.

The 23-year-old is adored in N5, with Arsenal now preparing for life without Saka for the foreseeable future due to his injury.