The official website of UEFA has published a list of fifty youngsters expected to be household names by this time in 2021, and only one player of Nigerian descent was worthy to be selected in the prestigious list.
Bukayo Saka was recognised thanks to his brilliant performances for Arsenal in this season’s Premier League and Europa League.
The other Premier League starlets that made the cut include Mason Greenwood (Manchester United), Reece James (Chelsea), Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal) and Troy Parrott (Tottenham).
On Saka, they wrote: “In September, at 18 years and 14 days old, winger Saka became Arsenal’s youngest European scorer since Aaron Ramsey in 2008.” A Hale End Academy graduate, Saka made his first team debut against Vorskla Poltava in the Europa League on November 29, 2018, becoming the fifteenth youngest player to debut for Arsenal aged 17 years, 2 months and 24 days. A winger by trade, the versatile Saka has been deployed at left back in his last five matches for Arsenal in the Premier league, including yesterday’s win against Manchester United.