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Features
The best Arsenal academy graduates of all time, including Bukayo Saka and Premier League record breaker
Arsenal can be proud of the fact they have produced some truly world class footballers.
Hale End has often proved to be a rich source of talent over the years, with the Gunners churning out gems such as Bukayo Saka and Ethan Nwaneri in recent times, and legends like Tony Adams beforehand.
Mikel Arteta is certainly giving Hale End graduates a chance, having played Eddie Nketiah and Emile Smith Rowe a fair bit before their moves to Crystal Palace and Fulham respectively, while Myles Lewis-Skelly is shining this season.
On this note, let’s take a look at the ten best players Arsenal have produced – in no particular order.
Andy Cole
Arsenal never actually benefitted from the talents of Andy Cole.
The Nottingham-born striker graduated from Hale End in 1989, but made only one league appearance for the Gunners before he was sold to🌠 Bristol City in 1992.
He gets🤡 the ball and s🌃cores a goal, Andy, Andy Cole!
— 90s Football (@90sfootball)
Cole then went on to win five Premier League titles with Manchester United – scoring a to❀tal ofꦺ 187 Premier League goals before he was later named in the Premier League Hall of Fame.
Tony Adams
Like Cole, Adams also enjoyed a successful career, although Arsenal did benefit on this occasion.
The towering centre-back helped the Gunners win two Premier League titles, three FA Cups and many other trophies, even earnin𓆉g a Ballon d’Or nomination in 1998.
Ag🃏ain, like Cole, Ada🧔ms was later induced in the Premier League Hall of Fame.
Bukayo Saka
Saka is currently one of the best players on the planet, and Arsen♒al can take a lot of credit for that.
Sit back and enjoy all 50 of ಌBukayo Saka’s Premier League goals to date ✨
— Premier League (@premierleague)
The England internatioဣnal joined the Gunners at the age of just seven in 2008 – spending a 🀅decade developing inside Hale End before his senior debut in 2018.
Saka boasts one FA Cup win with Arsenal.
Ashley Cole
Ashley Cole is not too popular among Arsenal fans after leaving to join Chelsea in a £5m move back in September𒊎 2006, but he remains one of the greatest to emerge from Hale 🅺End.
“I felt disrespected by Arsenal…”
— That Peter Crouch Podcast (@PeterCrouchPod)
Ashle꧅y opens up about leaving his boyhood club.
The man born in Stepney went on to earn 107 caps for England after breaking out of the Arsenal youth rღanks in 1999 – finishing in the PFA Premier League Team of𒉰 the Year on four occasions, before being named in the Premier League Hall of Fame in 2024.
Paul Merson
Paul Merson spent three years in the academy at⛎ Arsenal from 1982 to 1985 and went on to become a legend 🍎in N5.
Born in Harles🀅den, the now 56-✃year-old amassed 423 appearances for the Gunners, scoring 99 goals and providing 51 assists, helping Arsenal win two First Division titles and many other domestic trophies.
Ray Parlour
Ray Parlour joined Arsenal at the age of 12 and went on to make 465 appearances in total for the Gun💟ners.
The midfielder – now aged 51 – boasts three Pr✃emier League title wins with Arsenal and four FA Cup victories, earning the club’s Player of the Season award in 1998.
Kevin Campbell
Kevin Campbell once sc🗹ored 59 goals in one season within Hale End, so it was no surprise to see Arsenal promote him🌜.
The Lambeth-born striker ultimately netted 60🌳 goals in 228 appearances fo𒀰r Arsenal, winning a First Division title, one FA Cup and one League Cup before joining Nottingham Forest in 1995.
Martin Keown
Martin Keown actually 💫spent two sepa♑rate stints at Arsenal – the second being far more successful than the first.
The dominant central defender only made 22 appearances for Arsenal after breaking through in 1984 – befo🎃re George Graham sold him to Aston Villa in 1986.
However, Keown, who admires William Saliba, later returned to Arsenal in 1♌993 and won a total of three Premier League titles and made 449 appearances for ൩the Gunners.
Cesc Fabregas
Cesc Fabregas actually spent most of his youth in La Masia at Barcelona, but moved to Arsenal in 200🔴3 at the age of 16 after becoming disillusioned in Catalonia.
The Spaniard became Arsenal’s youngest-ever first team player at the age of 16 years and 177 days when Arsene Wenger hande𝐆d him a debut against Rotherham in the League Cup.
Fabrಌegas ended his career with a World Cup to his name, along with two European Championships, two Player of 🌼the Season awards at Arsenal and countless other pieces of silverware.
Ethan Nwaneri
The aforementioned Nwaneri, who Arsene Wenger compares to Fabregas, is yet to hit the heights of those above him in this list – 🔥but the signs suggest he could ultimat🐠ely leapfrog them all and become a legend.
🌟 Ethan Nwaneri is 𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐋 🌟
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt)
The 17-year-old scores a sensational goal on first Champions League start to give Arsenal the lead 🔴👏
📺 &
Arteta made the Enfield-born wonderkid the youngest player ever to appear in the top flight of English football by handin🦩g him a Premier League debut against Brentford in September 2022, aged just 15 years and 181 days old.
Nwaneri – who Merson adores – also became just the third player to score at least five goals in a season before turning 18, following Mi🐠chael Owen and Wayne Rooney, with a goal at Brighton in🌌 January 2025.