Jamie Redknapp has revealed that Thierry Henry is a big fan of Arsenal youngster Alex Iwobi, and has highlighted his attitude as his strong point.
The 19 year-old has hit the ground running in the first-team this season, earning the right to start matches away at Everton and Barcelona in recent weeks.
Iwobi scored his first league goal in his only start in the Premier League thus far, and is rightly a strong talking point amongst pundits and fans alike.
Jamie Redknapp has now stated that Henry has told him that he believes Iwobi stands out among the crowd due to his attitude.
The former Liverpool midfielder said: “Thierry, who has worked with the 19-year-old, said the most impressive thing about this young man is his attitude. That’s what sets him apart.
“Iwobi plays with a smile on his face, he’s never late for training and he is a conscientious young man. You might expect that to be a given for any young footballer but sadly that’s not the case in the modern game.
“That’s why he deserves everything he’s got this past week.”
The Nigerian international has impressed so much that he could be set for an extended stay in the first-team, giving the likes of Theo Walcott, Serge Gnabry and Oxlade-Chamberlain a job to dislodge him from his role.
“He’s got pace, he’s athletic and he looks a real prospect. You’d also have to say his performances have pushed him to the front of the queue ahead of a few more established stars,” Redknapp added.
With our season destined to finish without a trophy, Iwobi’s emergence could prove to be our best accomplishment this season, although Danny Welbeck is also looking like he could play a big role for us in the new term also.
Do we all agree that Iwobi deserves his place in the first-team, or does he still have a lot of work to do to earn that?