Arsenal signs four year old child branded “little Messi”

Arsenal has shown again that age is just a number and as long as you show outstanding talents, they will take a chance on you.

The Gunners have just completed the signing of four-year-old Zayn Ali Salman according to The Daily Mail.

They signed him after the Gunners watched him, but he has been wowing fans all over the world through videos being uploaded on his Instagram account.

The report says he is now five but made history as the youngest player ever signed on by the Gunners after he joined their pre-academy team.

One thing that stands Salman out from his videos is his balance and skill and they have earned him the nickname “Little Messi.”

His former coach spoke about him recently and reveals how he was always better than every kid in his age grade and they had to field him against kids way older than he is. He still thrived.

Austin Schofield, told BBC News: ‘We put him with kids of his age, but he was better than all of then. He was quicker and he could score and pass much better than the others.

‘I spoke with his Dad to suggest playing up, and he said ‘why not?”

His father added: ‘I remember the day he was born. The nurse put him on his front and he lifted his head up to look around.

‘Even she was surprised. He’s always been strong from a young age. He has had incredible balance since he was very small. That’s carried on.

‘Arsenal aren’t bothered about his age, they just think he has a lot of potential.’

Tags Zayn Ali Salman

9 Comments

  1. A promotional stunt no doubt.
    Unfortunately or indeed fortunately for little Messi he is likely to “retire” by aged 9.
    The truth is other kids simply catch up and go on by these “hot house” produced “geniuses” forced into early maturation by deluded parents who see football success as a way out of poverty and/or obscurity. Little League in the USA comes to mind.

    1. Don’t know about marketing ploy but i have been involved in youth football and he is far to young to give him and his parents the wrong idea. The amount of young lads put on a pedistal and let down is enormous. If he is good enough, he can wait until he is older. Clubs should not be allowed to sign these kids at such a young age. I have seen the damage it does. I am dead against exploitation of young children by professional clubs.

  2. I take a different view from TRVL. I believe in giving very young children every opportunity to develop and excel in whichever skill or talent they show at an infant age. And many infants DO INDEED show remarkable talent that, in adult life will develop into an amazing talent.

    (Mozart was a prime example and he went on to give an immense amount of immortal music to the world, despite living to only 35.)

    It is true that some also do not, BUT to try to deny those who WILL develop near genius in whatever way they show exceptional talent as infants, is wrong and harmful. Simple as that IMO!
    To call that a “marketing ploy” in young Zains case is of course abject nonsense!

    1. unlike yourself Jon, I was an active participant in the world of highly competitive sports, as a multi-sport scholarship athlete, former coach and minor league scout

      I grew up being inundated with the story about how Gretzky, much like Tiger Woods some years later, was discovered around the same age as the young footballer in question and it created a highly problematic environment for both parents and children alike

      these one in a billion success stories led to some rather despicable behaviour on the part of those both seeking fame and fortune and those hoping to take advantage of their totally unrealistic pursuits

      so even though to the average observer this might seem like a rather innocuous “special interest” story, at it’s very core it’s little more than a disturbing marketing ploy, which I witnessed first-hand from both sides of the equation

      maybe next time before you go on one of your nonsensical diatribes, which on this occasion somehow actually included a reference to Mozart, take a moment to consider the very real possibility that you don’t know squat

      1. Rude as ever I see with no surprise whatever.

        It may surprise you but we are allowed our opinions on here and as this is not an Arsenal matter in particular(although the lad in question is with us but we are talking about the wider principle,not specifically just young Zain) there is no call for your personal insults.

        You make a fair point about the single case you mention no doubt but, PROVIDED there are safeguards and that any infant prodigy is not being forced against their will or against their best interests , then history is full of Mozarts in ALL walks of life, SPORTING AND OTHERWISE!
        You chose to diss Mozart as not being relevant but I mentioned that he is a prime example of an infant prodigy, which no rational person can doubt is true

        Your phrase” one in a billion success stories” comes from your imagination only, because the facts are that a goodly proportion of infant prodigies go on to have productive and successful careers that , in most cases , prove of benefit, sometimes even GREAT benefit, to mankind in general.

        Finally, I would never finish one of my considered and detailed pieces wth the immature and childishly rude “that you dont know squat!

        You did however, so I rest my case!

  3. classic pot calling the kettle black scenario…as usual your response lacks two key components, context and perspective…btw my “no squat” comment was meant in this particular regards only, but I might need to amend that opinion in due course should you continue to propagate such unqualified nonsense…as for my “billion to one” statement, let me ask you this, taking into account that the child in question was compared to Messi, how many children do you think have played organized football, in a global capacity, since Messi was a toddler and then ask yourself how many Messi’s are there??? Billion to one, I might suggest

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