It was a special night for Ife Ibrahim and Brando Bailey-Joseph at Arsenal against Kairat Almaty.
The Gunners went 3-1 up in the first half of their Champions League clash and were in a really comfortable position. First place in the table was sealed, and the rest of the game didn’t really matter.
Mikel Arteta turned to his bench and spotted two academy graduates in Ibrahim and Bailey-Joseph, and he brought them on for their debuts.
Fellow Hale End star Myles Lewis-Skelly was on the pitch watching, and he was delighted for the duo.
Could this be Arsenal’s starting XI in 10 years?
What Myles Lewis-Skelly told Ife Ibrahim and Brando Bailey-Joseph after Arsenal debuts
The Arsenal academy has been producing one incredible young talent after another in recent years.
Hale End is the place to be if you are a talented prospect, and with Arteta as the manager, you are bound to get an opportunity if you are good enough.
The likes of Bukayo Saka, Lewis-Skelly, Ethan Nwaneri and Max Dowman have all become stars, and the next group of youngsters are ready to step up now.
Bailey-Joseph came on in place of Gabriel Martinelli in the 77th minute, while Ife Ibrahim got his chance 12 minutes later when he replaced Christian Norgaard.
The two youngsters and their families will never forget Wednesday night, just like how Lewis-Skelly still remembers when he made his debut.
The England international, who is still very young himself at 19, pulled Ibrahim and Bailey-Joseph aside after the game to offer them some advice.
Lewis-Skelly said on TNT Sports: “That’s something we (Arsenal academy) are known for.
“I just told the boys after the game that I’m proud of them, and it’s the first step of many. I just told them to keep their head down, keep trusting the process and keep enjoying it because it does go quick.”
Who do you think is the bigger prospect at Arsenal – Brando Bailey-Joseph or Ife Ibrahim?
Who impressed you more against Kairat FC?
Arsenal need to be very smart with Brando Bailey-Joseph and Ife Ibrahim’s development
Arsenal have made many mistakes with the development of their young players over the years.
The likes of Omari Hutchinson, Amario Cozier-Duberry, Ayden Heaven and Chido Obi all left the club for little or no money, which is not a good look at all.
With Per Mertesacker leaving, the focus now is to hire a more efficient academy manager to make sure young players’ futures are handled better.
Name three changes you’d like to see happen in Arsenal’s academy
Loans, U21 pathways, signings?
Arsenal Insider told you about Bailey-Joseph months ago, and the 17-year-old needs to be sent out on a few smart loans to help him develop.
Ibrahim, who signed a new contract just a day before his debut, could do with a loan spell as well at some point in the next two or three years.
The decision-makers of the club behind the scenes need to start planning for this already. The last thing the two teenagers need is to waste a few years in the academy when they could be playing first-team football and gaining experience elsewhere.
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