Bukayo Saka has emerged as one of England’s best talents in the last two seasons, and he has revealed some Premier League players he would choose as teammates for different reasons.
The attacker is one of the key players at Arsenal and will remain so if he continues to deliver his current level of performance.
But there are players whom he admires in the English top flight.
He was asked to pick his FIFA Ultimate Teammate on the Premier League YouTube channel recently, and he mentioned two Arsenal teammates in a list that would surprise many.
For pace he chose Gabriel Martinelli, saying: “Just watch him play and press, the way he goes, he doesn’t stop.
“He’s not only just fast, he can also run a long distance at that same speed and just get faster.
“You look at his Chelsea goal [last season] – he didn’t slow down or get tired. It’s not just his pace it’s his engine as well. It’s crazy. It’s like he’s got a battery pack on his back.”
He chose himself for dribbling but added Smith Rowe over Phil Foden for passing.
“[He has] settled in perfectly,” he said of Smith Rowe. “He was patient for his opportunity and I think he deserved it. When he got it he took it and showed the impact he can make for the team.
“He’s a livewire across the pitch, he’s everywhere, he will run into space, pass into space and create opportunities for all of us. I love playing with him and I’m really happy with what he’s done in the team since he’s come in.”
Alongside Smith Rowe and Martinelli, Saka is one of several young players who are driving Arsenal into a new era.
Martinelli has already shown what he can do, but the jury is still out on the impressive Smith Rowe who has just broken into the first team.
If they continue to shine as they are doing at the moment, the Gunners would be back inside the Premier League top four in the not-so-distant future.