Noni Madueke and Bukayo Saka both have a part to play for England this summer and Madueke himself has now detailed the differences between the pair.
Madueke and Saka have both started games under Thomas Tuchel this summer to differing effect.
Ahead of England facing DR Congo this week, it remains to be seen if Saka, Madueke, or even both will make the starting XI.
Arsenal fans, of course, will know that it is Saka who is the main man and the better player when at his best.
But according to Madueke, both he and Saka have different attributes that can help England.
Noni Madueke explains why he and Bukayo Saka are different wingers
Deep down, Madueke knows he is second fiddle to Saka both at club and country level when both are fully fit.
But that also doesn’t mean that Madueke cannot contribute. As with a lot of wide players, they have slightly different skill-sets and according to Madueke, there are differences.
“I thrive in space and he thrives in congestion,” Madueke said in his pre-match presser.
“We’re very close. Normally it should be a little bit strange, but it’s not. It doesn’t really affect our relationship whatsoever. We want the best for each other when each other plays because if he plays well, I play well, England and Arsenal have a better chance of winning. Healthy competition is good.
“You always have to be at the highest level because you know you have a top player waiting and biting at your heels to try and get in the team.”
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When push comes to shove, Bukayo Saka is going to be the number one choice in the eyes of Thomas Tuchel and Mikel Arteta.
However, this does not mean Noni Madueke should simply sit back and accept he is second best.
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Instead, Madueke can embrace his role behind Saka or indeed if he starts ahead of him. As Madueke says, he has the pace and power to really threaten when there is space to play in and over the course of a full 90 minutes, both his and Saka’s skills have their place.
For England, it is players like Madueke, Morgan Rogers, and Ollie Watkins who could be big difference makers for the Three Lions.
Madueke has a huge role still to play and if he impresses in the next few weeks, it only enhances his reputation at Arsenal further too.
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