'I go into Arsenal regularly – this is what Myles Lewis-Skelly is like behind the scenes'
Myles Lewis-Skelly’s name unexpectantly rose from Arsenal's breathless 2-2 draw against Manchester City to claim headlines, and his true demeanour has been disclosed
by Ben Crawford · The MirrorArsenal teenager Myles Lewis-Skelly is a "quiet lad" behind closed doors, says club icon David Seaman.
One of the many notable events that occurred during Arsenal's controversy-ridden 2-2 draw against Pep Guardiola's Manchester City was the debut of academy graduate Lewis-Skelly - after he'd already received a booking half an hour prior.
The 18-year-old was cautioned while warming up on the sidelines - having communicated something to goalkeeper David Raya that the PGMOL claimed showed 'a lack of respect for the game.' Lewis-Skelly's day of drama didn't stop there either, as he exchanged words with Erling Haaland after the final whistle.
Seaman, who admitted he often visits his former club's London Colney training centre, expressed his shock at the youngster's involvement in such altercations, citing his normally reserved nature.
"He got booked before making his Premier League debut!" Seaman stated, speaking on his Seaman Says podcast with Betway. "It's so funny because I go into Arsenal once a week and I'm sometimes with the under 18s or under 23s.
"I've been going about three years now, and he was coming in as a schoolboy, right? He trained with the under 18s, and then he put his school uniform back on to go back to school.
"So then to see where he is now, wow. It's just so incredible. And he's like a really quiet lad, so I don’t know how he got a booking!"
Though Lewis-Skelly was unable to make much of an impact at the Etihad, only entering the game in the second minute of added time - just before John Stones ' late leveller - he was handed his first Arsenal start days later.
Mikel Arteta used the normally versatile midfielder at left-back in what turned out to be an academy-graduate-laden affair against Bolton in the League Cup.
Jack Porter, 16, was handed a debut in goal, and Joshua Nichols played the full 90 on the opposite defensive flank to Lewis-Skelly – who was replaced after 62 minutes.
The youngest player to step foot on a Premier League pitch – Ethan Nwaneri – also featured and even bagged himself a brace. Arteta evidently trusts his crop of budding talent and was complimentary when asked about Lewis-Skelly and the characteristics that saw him earn his debut against City.
"He [Lewis-Skelly] is a competitor," said Arteta. "You look at him, in every duel he goes, the way he reacts with his team-mates, you speak to him it’s constantly eye contact. He’s nudging, he’s asking questions, it’s a special character.
"He can play in three positions basically, as a left back, as a No.6, as a No.8, he’s very versatile. He adapts, from there he can occupy different spaces.
"He’s very adaptable, that’s the good thing about Myles - he’s very intelligent, very thorough. He has some unbelievable questions every time you ask him to do something, and he has the competitive edge which I think is demanded at this level. And he really wants it, so we are going to use him in different positions."
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