Arsenal: Ainsley Maitland-Niles does indeed have a bright, bright future

Ainsley Maitland-Niles has signed a new long-term contract with Arsenal. The young midfielder does indeed have a bright, bright future ahead of him.

Ainsley Maitland-Niles broke onto the first-team scene last season. While he had always been considered an individual of great talent and potential, one of Arsenal’s rare starlets having joined the academy at the age of 9, he had never quite proven it for the first team in the more competitive competitions. Until last season, that is.

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Last year, he played more than 1500 minutes in the Europa League and Premier League, fielded at left-back, left wing-back and central midfield, impressing in all three positions. It really was his breakthrough season.

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And now he has been rewarded for his efforts. As officially announced on Tuesday afternoon, Maitland-Niles has agreed to a new long-term contract to keep him at the Emirates for the foreseeable future. In the announcement, Maitland-Niles revealed the interaction that he had with new Head Coach Unai Emery and what it felt to be named in the press conference by Ivan Gazidis as one of the players that Emery gushed about the interview process:

"“You don’t really hear a lot of young players being shouted out by their managers, especially a new manager who hasn’t really seen them play too much. I think it’s brilliant to hear from him and it gives me a load of confidence. It feels fantastic knowing that I’m going to be a part of the squad, and a big part of the squad. It means a lot with the new head coach coming in and Arsenal tying me down [with a new contract]. I’m very pleased.”"

I do believe that Maitland-Niles is in the perfect position to enjoy a thoroughly wonderful career. He obviously has the natural talent, he has shown a great work ethic, something that he eludes to in his interview with Arsenal Player on Tuesday, and now he has a coach who seems willing to play him regularly, to trust him in the big matches, and to allow him to make mistakes and to improve because of them.

The step from youth football to senior football is the most unpredictable and tumultuous periods during the development of any player. It can take years for any individual to establish themselves as a true starter. Just look at Alex Iwobi, who is now two years down the line from that remarkable two-month breakthrough to close out the 2015/16 season and is still nothing more than a rotational contributor.

Iwobi proves that a young player requires more than just talent. They need to work hard, they need a coach who believes in them, and they need luck. Maitland-Niles has two of those things, as well as great potential.

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He does indeed have a bright, bright future ahead of him. He just needs to realise it now.