Former England star, Stuart Pearce has reportedly labelled Arsenal teenage defender, Myles Lewis-Skelly as the best left-back in the Premier League.
In just a few months, the 18-year-old is already being compared to some of the best defenders in the division, despite only making his full Premier League debut in December.
Lewis-Skelly isn’t even a natural left-back, which is what makes his story so incredible. He led the backline as a centre-half in school.
The young prodigy established himself as a ball-carrying midfielder with speed, tenacity, and an eye for driving runs at Arsenal’s Hale End academy. Mikel Arteta, however, had other ideas.
Pearce Full Of Praise For Lewis-Skelly
In an interview with BestBettingSites.co.uk as quoted by Goal, Pearce said: “Off the top of my head, there’s very few that are much better than Myles Lewis-Skelly, if I’m being quite honest with you.
“He’s got room for improvement. Year on year you expect him to get a lot better. Arsenal have got a great reputation when it comes to developing left backs.
“I had to play understudy to Kenny Sansom. And then after that, Ashley Cole obviously developed as an outstanding left back for them. Myles has been playing for one of the best sides in the Premier League, so I think he’s as good as most.”
The foundation for Lewis-Skelly’s senior breakthrough was laid late in the 2023–24 season when Arsenal coaches tried him out for the U18s and U21s as an inverted left-back.
It was a bet that has now paid off spectacularly. Lewis-Skelly played 39 games for the Gunners last season, displaying maturity well above his years.
His remarkable first senior goal against Manchester City was enhanced by his cheeky imitation of Erling Haaland’s famous celebration.
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