Arsenal eyes will be on Wembley stadium this international break as two of their stars line up for England in crucial World Cup qualifiers.
Thomas Tuchel called up Myles Lewis-Skelly in his first squad as England manager and the 18-year-old defender could be set to win his first cap in the clash against Albania.
Declan Rice is expected to start in midfield for the Three Lions and will be looking to bring his excellent form for Arsenal on to the international stage.
Arsenal stars have been called up around the world for this international period but for Lewis-Skelly it was a special moment on being called up and he has revealed his heart warming reaction when he found out the news.
Myles Lewis-Skelly tells Declan Rice his England call-up reaction
Speaking on the England men’s football team’s official YouTube channel, Lewis-Skelly has revealed to his team mate Rice how he really reacted when hearing the news of his call-up to Tuchel’s squad.
Rice first reminisced about his first England squad, he stated: “Gareth, he gave me a call, I remember he called me up the exact same, unknown number coming through and then obviously you don’t have the manager’s number saved at that time.
“So they’re just letting you know that you’ve been called up and you think about it, you’re about to join England. A complete different setup, new lads, just can’t wait to get going really. It just goes so fast, like that was 2019. It’s 2025, football goes so quick.”
Lewis-Skelly then replied with: “”My mum came to my room as she heard me shouting, she thought I hurt myself. Then I just called my dad straight away.”
Rice explained that he ‘would’ve paid’ to have seen Lewis-Skelly’s reaction to the news and he may now grace the Wembley pitch alongside him for his country.
Rice has supported Lewis-Skelly this season for Arsenal
From the outside looking in, the Arsenal first-team squad seems an environment where young players can feel at ease and thrive in their surroundings.
Rice has been a hugely supportive figure to Lewis-Skelly at the Emirates Stadium this season and claimed Lewis-Skelly was ‘build in a lab’ after a victory over Ipswich Town earlier in the season.
In the pressure-cooker environment that surrounds the England national team, Rice will once again be looking to provide that support for his young Gunners team mate over the next couple of matches.
His experience and leadership has really shone through in recent months under Mikel Arteta and he will now be hoping to transfer those skills for his country.
Receive a digest of our best Arsenal content each week direct to your mailbox
