ARSENAL starlet Archie Stevens has signed his first professional contract with the club after an impressive pre-season.
Stevens, 19, joined the Gunners from Rangers in the summer and aced his trial with the Under-21s as he shone bright in friendlies against Chelmsford City and Monaco II.
The winger won over manager Max Porter and earned a permanent spot with the North Londoners’ reserves.
Arsenal announced in their official website: “We are delighted to announce that winger Archie Stevens has signed his first professional contract with us after a successful trial period.
“The 19-year-old impressed during our Under-21 pre-season clashes against Chelmsford City and Monaco II and will join up with Max Porter’s side for the 2025/26 season.”
Arsenal are confident they have found a very promising talent for the next few years.
Academy manager Per Mertesacker was impressed with what he saw from Stevens both on and off the pitch.
Mertesacker said: “Since Archie has been with us, he has really impressed as a person and player.
“He has fit into our environment seamlessly and has been really impressive in matches and in training.
“Archie has absolutely earned this next stage in his career with his professional contract with us.
“We welcome Archie to our Academy and are all looking forward to working with him in his continued development.”
Stevens moved to Scotland with Rangers in 2022 and after three years in the youth squads he was loaned out to Dunfermline Athletic last January.
The former England Under-18 international managed to get some first-team experience with 11 appearances and helped Dunfermline avoid relegation from the Scottish Championship.
Archie said: “I went on loan to Dunfermline towards the end of the season and learnt loads there.
“We were in a relegation scrap at the start, so that taught me a lot, and we managed to stay up. So I’ve seen a lot of things on and off the pitch.
“My first game [with Arsenal] was against Chelmsford in pre-season, I think I gave a good account of myself.
“Then we had the Monaco game out in France, which was a great opportunity. I came on in the last 30 minutes, so I wanted to make an impact.
“I saw the ball come to me in quite a wide area, but I thought I need to get something away, whether it’s a shot or a pass and I went for goal.
“I can’t wait to show what I can do. Obviously, it’s such a massive club, so it’s a dream come true to be here, I’m just grateful for the opportunity.”
Read the full article here