Arsenal: Alex Iwobi Development Surprising

The incredible development of Alex Iwobi last season was not predicted by many, including some of the Arsenal coaches.

It is one of the joys of being an Arsenal fan. Perhaps unlike any other club in the world, Arsenal fans have the joy of watching youngsters progress through the ranks until they eventually break into the first team and sometimes develop into genuine world class talents.

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It is perhaps Arsene Wenger’s biggest imprint that he will leave on this club when he eventually leaves: an importance of focusing on youth and providing them with an environment to flourish not just in the youth and reserve teams, but also in the first team. It is an outstanding characteristic of the club, and one of the current youngsters breaking into the first team is a prime example.

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That youngster is obviously Alex Iwobi, a 20 year old attacking midfielder who is consistently playing at a level worthy of his teammates Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez. His rise has been sudden and unexpected, not only to fans and pundits, but also to Arsenal coaches themselves.

Gunners academy coach Andries Jonker, when asked about Iwobi’s rise to prominence, stated:

"“He’s the example of a good player who has not been identified by anybody as a potential first-team player. Many, many people seem to think you have to recognize an under-nine as a potential first-team player. When you spend a long time in youth football, you understand that you will never know. There are positive and negative surprises, but Alex is one of those boys who has continued to work hard, and kept his commitment and dedication no matter what has happened. In the end he made it and he has been a big surprise to everyone at Arsenal but we all love it. He’s surprised us all.”"

These are astonishing quotes and illustrate the sheer unpredictability of developing a young footballer. It is a far from clear cut science with many factors that can influence, positively and negatively, the trajectory of a young player. Arsenal should be extremely thankful then, that Alex Iwobi’s trajectory has been one that keeps on rising.

The question now becomes, however, not can he simply make it as a footballer, but rather, how high can his trajectory go? Can he become a regular first team player, contributing to the good of the team on a consistent basis, or will he now slip back into a reserve role? Iwobi showed in the latter months of last season that he has extreme talent.

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In 13 Premier League games, Iwobi scored two goals, assisted two others and generally looked the part of a Premier League player. At the tender age of only 20, the Nigerian international has the potential to develop into a top top player. It remains to be seen whether he can live up to such high hopes, but so far, there’s very little reason to doubt him.