IN Ayden Heaven it looks like Arsenal have a great player.
The 18-year-old centre-back made his competitive senior debut in the Gunners' 3-0 win over Preston in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup – coming from the bench in the 80th minute.
Before that, he was one of several academy stars to feature in the club's pre-season summer tour of the United States, with boss Mikel Arteta starting him against Manchester United.
Heaven – who stands at 6ft 9in and is a left-footer – was at fault for United's opener, which was outscored by Rasmus Hojlund, but he recovered well as Arsenal won the match 2-1.
He has gone from strength to strength since then and looks set to fulfill his potential and the high expectations Arsenal have for him to succeed.
HOW DO THEY PLAY AND WHO DO THEY REMIND YOU OF?
The first thing you notice about Heaven is its size and physicality, the body of a young, raw Patrick Vieira who isn't afraid to get stuck in it.
As demonstrated against Hojlund last summer, Heaven still needs time to build up and prove he can match the biggest and most intimidating attackers in the Premier League.
But Arteta likes to remain calm on that front, mainly because of Heaven's technique and composure on the ball.
Avid spectators of Arsenal's youth academy know that Heaven rarely loses his cool, appears unflappable in possession and has the ability to ping balls across the pitch like a top Steven Gerrard.
Arteta hopes Arsenal have another defender in the mold of William Saliba – someone who is big, fast and capable of starting attacks from deep.
TELL US ABOUT THEIR RISE?
Arsenal is highly regarded after he was also on the bench for Arsenal's first 16 Champions League match in Porto in February.
He is now a trusted member of the first team and is expected to step up when called upon, especially after Arsenal's injury woes at the start of the season.
After his performance against Preston, Heaven said: “I've been waiting a long time. Today it finally happened, I'm just happy. I thank my teammates, my family and everyone who got me here.
“I have the feeling that Mikel has confidence in me. I think that plays a big part in it and yeah, I just feel like there's confidence when it comes to making your competitive debut.
Heaven signed for the Gunners in 2019 after being released by West Ham as a 12-year-old, having also had trials at Chelsea and Fulham. He turned down the latter because the training was too far from his north London home in Edmonton.
Before being picked up by Arsenal, he played for Sunday League club Levels – a grassroots club that gives players the opportunity to compete against elite football academies.
But Arsenal was always going to be his first choice, as he was already a boyhood fan; his idols were Alexis Sanchez and Theo Walcott.
Heaven explained: “Arsenal were knocking on the door and it made more sense as I am a fan first and foremost, but also the location was much more convenient.
“Hale End was only a 15-minute drive away, so everything fell into place perfectly. I signed for the club I support and my mother was so happy for me – she even cried!
“My family is so important, they are my motivation, I have two younger siblings and an older sister who mean the world to me.”
Heaven blossomed under former Arsenal U18 coach Jack Wilshere, giving him first-team opportunities and training under Arteta at London Colney.
The teen added: “The intensity is crazy! You get dizzy sometimes because it goes so fast. The difference between under-18s, under-21s and the first team is incredible.”
WHAT DO THE EXPERTS SAY?
Arteta is not one to overhype a young player too quickly, but the Spaniard had some nice words to say about Heaven after the win over United in pre-season.
He said after the match: “At 17, I don't know how many players can do that on a stage like this.
“He lost a game against one of the strongest and fastest players in the world, that can happen.
“But the reaction afterwards, the calmness, the quality, the body language he had were all remarkable. I'm really happy with him.”
WHAT ARE THE NEXT 12 MONTHS?
The future of Heaven at Arsenal is not set in stone. After signing terms with the club last summer, he is yet to enter serious talks over a new deal.
His contract expires in June 2025. The confidence is that an agreement can be concluded for such a young talent in the coming months.
If not, there are big European clubs sniffing around, including Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund, who famously developed young English stars like Jadon Sancho, Jude Bellingham and Jamie Gittens.
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