Arsenal currently has many advantages, including an outstanding senior squad and an academy that continues to produce elite players.
Bukayo Saka is by no means the only star at Arsenal, even though he is the most notable to come out of the Hale End structure.
Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri, for example, have emerged and appear to have extraordinarily bright futures ahead of them.
A 16-year-old Arsenal player has now been included in The Guardian’s most recent list of young Premier League players to watch in the years to come.
“One of the brightest talents” at Arsenal is Jack Porter
The guy in question is Jack Porter, who gained notoriety earlier this season when he opened the game for Arsenal against Bolton Wanderers in the Carabao Cup.
At the age of 16 years and 72 days, Porter became the youngest player in Gunners history to start a game.
About the 2008-born talent, The Guardian wrote: “A former midfielder who once played for the same grassroots team that produced Tony Adams, Porter became the youngest player ever to start an EFL Cup match for Arsenal in their September 16–72 day victory over Bolton.”
The England Under-17 goalkeeper, who signed scholarship terms in the summer when he turned 16, has already been practicing with Arsenal’s first team squad for some time. He is predicted to be one of the club’s best prospects from the Hale End academy.
‘Porter’s supporters include David Seaman and Arsenal’s goalkeeping coach, Inaki Cana, who is understood to have encouraged Mikel Arteta to start him against Bolton ahead of more experienced options when first choices David Raya and Neto were not available.’
Porter follows in the footsteps of Lewis-Skelly (2023), Omari Benjamin (2022), Reuell Walters (2021) and Charlie Patino (2020) in being deemed Arsenal’s current standout talent by The Guardian.
When did Porter join Arsenal and how has he done this season?
As per the official Arsenal website, Porter joined the club in 2020.
He made four appearances for Jack Wilshere’s academy side in the Under-18 Premier League last season before signing scholarship terms in the summer.
This season, Porter has made two U18 Premier League appearances, conceding five times, and also one Premier League 2 outing for the Under-21s, conceding once.
The teenager, who made Arsenal’s matchday squads against Atalanta and Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, has also represented England at Under-16 and Under-17 level.