Striker who made history at the Euros says he was actually released by Arsenal because he was too small

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Arsenal have one of the best academy systems in all of English football, but, sometimes, they do make mistakes.

Indeed, the Gunners have made their fair share of errors with young players over the years.

Eberechi Eze was famously released by Arsenal as a youngster, and, ironically, Eze could end up signing for Arsenal this summer.

Meanwhile, Harry Kane was also let go from Arsenal’s academy as a young player before becoming a superstar.

Now, another notable name has been speaking about his journey in the Arsenal academy.

Indeed, speaking on the Business of Sport Podcast, Hal Robson-Kanu has shared that he was released by Arsenal as a 15-year-old as he was deemed too weak to ever be a first-team player.

Hal Robson-Kanu discusses Arsenal release

Hal Robson-Kanu spoke about his journey as a professional footballer, and that journey actually began at Arsenal.

The striker was in the Arsenal academy up until the age of 15, but, at that point, he was released by the Gunners for not being developed enough physically.

Robson-Kanu would end up at Reading, where he would really kickstart his career.

“I signed for Reading as a 15-year-old, but I had actually been released by Arsenal in that summer.

“So I had been at Arsenal from 10 to 15. Liam Brady was the Academy Manager at Arsenal, was like, look, you’re not really that physical. I was a late developer.

“He just said, look, we don’t think you’re going to be physically strong enough to play in this Arsenal first team, so we’re going to release you. And so that was a massive setback. So I went from that, a really low point in my life, to then signing for Reading Football Club.”

Hal Robson-Kanu’s career after leaving Arsenal

Unlike Eze or Kane, Arsenal probably didn’t lose all that much sleep over releasing Robson-Kanu as a youngster.

The striker carved out a fantastic career for himself at the top level, but he never quite hit the heights of playing for a club like Arsenal.

Of course, Robson-Kanu’s finest hour came at Euro 2016 when he scored a vital goal vs Belgium to send Wales to their first ever major semi-final.

Robson-Kanu’s goal was nominated for a Puskas Award that year, and while he may not have been the most physical of players as a youngster, he showcased some technical brilliance in this moment.

Arsenal would develop strikers who would surpass Robson-Kanu, but it is interesting to hear the striker’s story of how his journey at Arsenal came to an end.