Myles Lewis-Skelly continues to impress his former Arsenal academy coach, Jack Wilshere.
The pair worked together when Wilshere was U18 coach at Hale End, overseeing Lewis-Skelly before his breakthrough season.
Now a firm part of Mikel Arteta’s favoured XI, gone are the 18-year-old’s days in Arsenal’s academy, making a seamless switch from youth to senior football.
Lewis-Skelly has impressed many during his breakthrough, setting himself up well for next season, as Wilshere continues to monitor his former scholar.
Jack Wilshere praises Myles Lewis-Skelly’s mentality
Wilshere was at the Parc des Princes when Arsenal were knocked out of the Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain.
Though Lewis-Skelly had a difficult game against PSG, the teenager was still the talk of the French capital, as Wilshere drew attention to the versatile left-back during TNT Sports’ coverage of the match.
When speaking to TNT Sports, the now-retired midfielder revealed what he believes ‘stands out’ about Lewis-Skelly.
“His talent was always there. What stands out to me, with him, is his mentality,” Wilshere explained.
“Each challenge he grows, and he’s grown as the season has gone on, his performances have got a lot better, he’s maturing.”
Wilshere went on to shed light on how Lewis-Skelly has managed to maintain his strong decision-making skills throughout his debut senior campaign.
“I always think as well, you can really tell with a young player, when you can see the decision making as well, and all the pressure and all those moments, can they still make the right decision? And he does it over and over.”
Lewis-Skelly’s teammates are admirers of his rise in the first team, but to some, perhaps his trajectory was less surprising.
What Wilshere said about Lewis-Skelly when he was in Arsenal’s academy
Wilshere suspected Lewis-Skelly would play for Arsenal’s first team when coaching him at Hale End.
Playing as a central midfielder back then, the teenager left no stone unturned with his performances, something that left his former coach stunned during the 2022/23 campaign.
When Wilshere spoke to AFTV to reflect on that season, he drew attention to Lewis-Skelly’s ‘sensational’ fitness and desire.
“One moment that sticks out for me this season was the (FA) Youth Cup semi-final against City, and Myles Lewis-Skelly scoring the header.
“He’s an under-16, so he was at school doing his GCSEs and on a hybrid training programme, so to have a moment like that in the 120th minute when you don’t really train that much, you’re still a boy, still got baby lungs, it was sensational.
“I think there’s something in him that I really like.”
Lewis-Skelly burst onto the scene in the first team this term, which to outsiders may be a surprise, but to those at Arsenal, his graduation from the academy was only a matter of time.
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