At the beginning of October he became U21's in the EFL trophy. Fast forward to the beginning of April, Myles Lewis-Skelly is now a first team ordinary, fresh from the youngest English player who scores on his debut.
It is easy to understand why the 18-year-old has the feeling that he has been in a dream in recent weeks.
Fortunately he has someone next to him who has been there and did it.
Declan Rice made his first team debut at the age of 18 before he became the most expensive English player of all time. On either side of it he can be seen in two European championship final and helped West Ham to their first trophy in more than 40 years. On only 26 he plays a key role in cherishing another graduated Hale End Academy.
And he is happy to lean back and smile while the younger reflects on writing history at Wembley – scoring the first goal of the Thomas Tuchel era of England.
“I feel that I have been in a kind of dream in recent weeks. I was blessed to get the chance,” said Lewis-Skelly. “To happen as it did, it was crazy. Hence my reaction when I scored. I couldn't believe it. I kept looking at De Lijnman to see if he had set up the flag!”.
Rice, now a veteran of 64 English caps, thought about how the teenager dealt with his first international camp.
“I was so impressed. At the beginning of the week he was quite a bit with me, he was quiet. And then I hardly saw him by the end of the week!
“He was with everyone, mixed. I had a lot of guys who came to me and say how much they love him, what a man he is!
“I think that's the beauty of international football. You play against players and you don't know what people actually are.
“In the case of Myles he was clearly broken this year, nobody really knows how he is like a man. But then they see him as a person and they are like 'Wow, he is a top player, but he is also a top man' also a top man '. We had a lot of fun last week.
Lewis-Skelly only made his first team debut against Manchester City in September and is 25 more performances for the club. The highlight of his club career so far, undoubtedly his first senior goal against the champions at the Emirates – followed by a memorable celebration when he imitated Erling Haaland.
A perfect riposte after the Norwegian the young person asked who he was when the two parties met in a stormy affair earlier in the season.
“To score my first goal for the club, that I supported as a young person, it means the world. It's crazy!” Said Lewis-Skelly.
And the celebration?
“I don't really know. I was a bit in the power. I didn't really think. Everything just started.”
Rice would like to jump in.
“I think people have gone a bit over it in terms of what they said about it [the celebration]. I know that erling took it on the chin. It's football at the end of the day! I know he has a lot of respect for Haaland. It wasn't a mean gesture, it was just right now.
“Let's concentrate more on the goal he scored, which was unreal. And it was with his right foot, what a shock was!”.
It has often been forgotten that Lewis-Skelly went through the Arsenal Academy as a midfielder.
He now excels for the first team in a reverse full-back role. And although he admits that he simply wants to be “adaptable” and “effective” in every role that Mikel Arteta chooses for him, Rice is certainly about where his future lies in the long term.
“It is clear that at the moment the way the manager likes to play with the role of Binnen-Linksback, Myles fits to a tee,” said Rice. “I think he will eventually be a midfielder. He has all the possibilities to play No. 6, no. 8, where he really wants. At the moment he excels like a left back.
“Even his defensive duels, his 1V1s are excellent, what he could not do last year. In contrast to Sharp Wingers, he treated it so well. I think his future is certainly midfield and Arsenal now has a player who can now play in multiple positions”.
With people like Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri Excelling and Bukayo Saka, there is new optimism that Arsenal can end the season on a real high.
On the way to Tuesday's match against Fulham, Arsenal Trail League Leader Liverpool with 12 points. However, Rice says that the Gunners do not give up the title.
“We have to win every game. As the manager says, we just have to determine what we can check and that is winning football matches.
“We cannot rely on others or trust Liverpool those games lose because they are in the position they have come to. It is up to us to win our remaining games and see what is happening.”
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