Micah Richards and Gary Lineker have now shared their thoughts on Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka.
Bukayo Saka has been in sensational form for Arsenal in recent weeks.
The Hale End academy graduate has scored seven goals in his last five Premier League outings. Saka is the first Arsenal player to have netted in at least five consecutive Premier League matches since Olivier Giroud achieved the feat in 2015. He is the first Englishman to do so in red and white since Ian Wright, and the youngest Arsenal player to record this milestone since Jose Antonio Reyes.
This goal glut has included strikes against Liverpool, and most recently Newcastle United, and also featured back-to-back braces against West Ham United and Burnley. Saka also recently became the youngest Arsenal player to reach one personal landmark since 1978.
It is easy to forget that the winger is still just 22-years-old given all that he has already achieved in his career. He is a staple in Mikel Arteta’s regular starting XI, and has already amassed 213 appearances for the north London club, across all competitions, since making his first-team debut in a Europa League clash against Vorskla Poltava in November 2018.
To date, he has scored 54 goals and provided 53 assists for Arsenal, and has established himself as a talismanic figure at the Emirates Stadium. Saka already has to deal with the weight of so much hope and expectation being set upon his shoulders. He has shown that he can bear such a burden though.
Gary Lineker and Micah Richards heap praise on Arsenal star Bukayo Saka
Saka is equally important to his country as he is to his club. He has 32 England caps to his name, and has netted 11 times for the Three Lions. He has already enjoyed a starring role at two major international tournaments, at EURO 2020 and the 2022 World Cup, and will be a key figure in Gareth Southgate’s plans for this summer’s EURO 2024 competition.
Former England internationals Micah Richards and Gary Lineker have now given their verdict on Saka. Speaking on The Rest is Football podcast, the former Manchester City full-back said, “I think Saka has really impressed me the most. Because, when you’re a marked man…when everyone knows you’re that good, and you’re getting two or three men around you, but still being able to deliver, I think that’s the most impressive thing for me.”
Lineker then stated, “he’s just a gorgeous footballer… He just looks like a young, smiley, kind of, nice boy, but he’s strong as well, isn’t he? He’s tough and he’s competitive, you can see that. I mean, he’s one of my absolute favourite players, I don’t mind admitting that.”
Richards then added, “his all-round game is just brilliant. Let’s not forget the defensive work as well. I mean, he does his defensive work really well, works hard for the team, and he always plays with a smile on his face. That’s what makes him so likeable. He’s just a top player.”
It is now vital for Arsenal that Saka is able to remain fit and firing on all cylinders for the remainder of the campaign.
Receive a digest of our best Arsenal content each week direct to your mailbox
