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‘Working my hardest’: 17-year-old names £40k-a-week Arsenal star he’s desperate to follow in footsteps of
Charlie Patino which Gunners star he is working hard to follow in the footsteps of as the 17-year-old looks to make the grade at the Emirates.
Patino is one of the most highly-rated youngsters coming through in North London.
The starlet has played the large majority of his football for the under-18s. However, he has now made a handful of appearances at the level above this past season.
But it appears that Arsenal have exciting plans for the teenager. It was recently claimed that he was set to train more regularly with the first-team moving forward.
It was also suggested that he was set to be offered a new contract later this year.
The encouraging thing for Patino is several teammates have made it down the path he is currently looking at.
Mikel Arteta showed plenty of faith in younger players this past year. Emile Smith Rowe was outstanding. The likes of Kieran Tierney and Gabriel Martinelli meanwhile, could be key men for years to come.
‘Player I really look up to’: Bukayo Saka the ideal star to act as a role model for every Arsenal prospect
But of course, the jewel in the crown at Arsenal is Bukayo Saka. It is scary to think that the 19-year-old – – remains a teenager.
And unsurprisingly, Patino suggested that Saka is the player he would love to emulate in the coming years.
“Growing up I adored Santi Cazorla as a player, and Cesc Fabregas and Mikel Arteta were some of my favourites too. But there’s something about Santi for me and the qualities that he had – he was something else,” he told Arsenal’s official website.
“As a midfield player there’s so much I can learn from him, but from an attitude and professionalism perspective, and something a little closer to home, another player I really look up to is Bukayo Saka. He’s two years older than me and I’m working my hardest to try and follow in his footsteps. That’s the pathway I want to take at Arsenal.”
What was so impressive about Saka’s emergence was how quickly he became a key man.
Arsenal fans have hardly had to give Saka any leeway when he is not very good just because he is a younger player. And that is because of the standards that he has set.
For someone such as Patino, there is surely no better player to look up to.