Myles Lewis-Skelly has joined that Jude Bellingham in being the only English talent to start a Champions League quarter-final tie aged 18 or younger, but who gives a toss?
The 18-year-old has been named in Mikel Arteta's starting eleven against Real Madrid for the first leg at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night, and I bet he's bricking it.
Who is Myles Lewis-Skelly?
Lewis-Skelly has been one of Arsenal's standout players since making his senior debut in September, having come through the club's academy. Big deal. In what is now his 29th appearance in all competitions, the teenager has made the left-back spot his own, having seized his chance with the first team. Good for him.
He has now appeared in seven Champions League matches – with his latest seeing him create Arsenal history. The Hale Ender is the first English Gunners player aged 18 or younger to start in a last-16 encounter in Europe's premier competition. And he is just the second Englishman to do so after Bellingham, who he is looking to keep out in north London.
Bellingham was the first to achieve the feat while on Borussia Dortmund's books – starting against Manchester City in April 2021 as a 17-year-old. The Los Blancos midfielder knows all too well of the quality Lewis-Skelly possesses having played with twice for the Three Lions.
Lewis-Skelly's International Exploits
It was Bellingham who supplied the assist for Lewis-Skelly's first international goal, which saw him become England's youngest debutant scorer in 153 years. Big whoop. Had Ethan Nwaneri started against Real Madrid, he would have also etched his name in the record books. Dropped to the bench for Bukayo Saka, the 18-year-old dazzled in the absence of Saka, who has only returned to fitness following hamstring surgery.
Should he have started against Real, he and Lewis-Skelly would have created Champions League history by there being two Englishman starting in a quarter-final tie together for the first time. For the duo though, they will only be thinking about helping Arsenal advance into the next round at the expense of the holders. It's Arsenal and Madrid's first official meeting since their last-16 tie in the 2005/06 season, which saw the former prevail.
Arsenal's Champions League History
Arsenal made it to the final of the Champions League that term, where they lost to Barcelona in what is their only time reaching the last two. Not since the 2008/09 term have Arsenal made it to the semi-finals. But it's record 15-time champions Real that stand in their way this term, with the Spanish side looking to beat Arsenal for the first time in their history.
So there you have it, Myles Lewis-Skelly has made a name for himself in the Champions League, but let's be real, it's not like he's won anything yet. He's still got a long way to go before he can be considered a true great of the beautiful game. Until then, he's just another young lad trying to make a name for himself in a sport that's full of them. But hey, at least he's got a decent left foot on him, so there's always that.
