By Monsurah Olatunji
Fulham and Nigeria midfielder Alex Iwobi has praised Arsenal star Bukayo Saka for his remarkable rise from academy prospect to one of the club’s most influential players.
Speaking in an interview with UEFA media, Iwobi reflected on Arsenal’s transformation since his departure in 2019, noting the changes under manager Mikel Arteta and the emergence of a new generation of talent.
Among those, Iwobi highlighted Saka, who made his senior debut for Arsenal as a substitute for Iwobi in 2018.
“It’s so nice to see because he’s such a humble guy—he’s always been hardworking,” Iwobi said.
“There are so many talented players at Arsenal, but he was the one who would just work hard and get on with it. It’s amazing to see how he’s blossomed into the player he is and the man he is.”
Saka has become a cornerstone of Arteta’s squad, helping Arsenal compete for both domestic and European honours. This season, the 22-year-old winger has already delivered 17 goal contributions in the Premier League, reinforcing his status as one of the league’s standout performers.
Arsenal, now just two games away from a potential UEFA Champions League final, have undergone a major overhaul since Iwobi’s time at the club, with only a few of his former teammates still in the squad.
Iwobi, himself a product of Arsenal’s Hale End academy, said he takes pride in seeing fellow academy graduates like Saka thrive on the world stage.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
