WHILE Prem stars Myles Lewis-Skelly and Levi Colwill are ready to do battle for England, two old team-mates are fighting the drop to League Two.
Crawley midfielder Bradley Ibrahim, 20, was captain of the Arsenal team which got to the FA Youth Cup final two years ago and featured Lewis-Skelly as well as Ethan Nwaneri.
Meanwhile, Burton midfielder Charlie Webster, 21, came through the ranks at Chelsea with 22-year-old Colwill and worked with England boss Thomas Tuchel at Stamford Bridge.
Ibrahim, on loan from German club Hertha Berlin, believes this England call-up for Lewis-Skelly, 18, will be the first of many.
The pair grew up together at Arsenal, and Ibrahim told SunSport: “I spoke to Myles on Friday after his selection was announced while on the way to Cambridge. He was buzzing.”
Ibrahim says Lewis-Skelly’s aggression, strength, fearlessness, self-confidence and humility drove him to the top.
He said: “Myles was always brave — he’ll never play with fear. No matter where he is or who he’s against, Myles has a belief in himself that he’s one of the best and is going to be the best.”
But Ibrahim insists off the field the teenager is humble because of his family roots.
He recalled how the Arsenal star’s mum, Marcia, always kept him on the straight and narrow. He said: “His progress has been helped by having great parents.
“His mum is a strong character and always kept him well disciplined.
“He was never one to go out. His mum sometimes didn’t let him.
“He’s well-spoken and talks to everyone exactly the same — whether it’s the kitchen staff, cleaners or manager. He’s so humble.”
Lewis-Skelly, who could make his senior debut on Friday’s World Cup qualifier against Albania, only made his Prem bow in September at Manchester City. He was red-carded against Wolves and West Ham this season.
And Gunners boss Mikel Arteta had to sub him after 35 minutes at PSV Eindhoven this month to safeguard him after the teenager picked up an early booking.
Although the dismissal against Wolves was rescinded, there have been concerns raised about his aggression.
But Ibrahim said: “If you take a bit of his aggression away, you take a big thing out of his game.
“If he was an older player, people wouldn’t talk about it but because he’s young, people spin it negatively. Even in training and mini-games he’d take it seriously.”
He’s well-spoken and talks to everyone exactly the same — whether it’s the kitchen staff, cleaners or manager. He’s so humble.
Bradley Ibrahim on Myles Lewis-Skelly
Ibrahim’s favourite memory of his pal was his last-gasp extra-time winner in the FA Youth Cup semi-final against Manchester City in 2023.
However, the Gunners lost 5-1 to West Ham in the final.
Part of that team was Nwaneri, 18 today, who incredibly broke into the Under-18s side at 14.
The Arsenal whizkid has already clocked up 21 top-flight appearances since making his debut two-and-a-half years ago, aged 15 years and 181 days, the youngest in Prem history.
Ibrahim, whose third-from-bottom Crawley side host Bristol Rovers on Friday, said: “It’s not like he’s overhyped. He’s unbelievable and one of the best I’ve played with.”
Webster signed for Burton in the summer after 12 years at Chelsea.
The midfielder first joined the Blues at Under-10 level and says he will be forever grateful for Tuchel naming him on the bench for a Carabao Cup game against Brentford in December 2021 when he was 17.
He said: “Tuchel will be unbelievable for England. He’s intense in terms of how he focuses on key details, he never misses anything.”
Centre-back Colwill, now a first-team regular, was a team-mate of Webster for the Blues’ youth teams.
Webster, whose Brewers side are not in action due to international call-ups, added: “Every player’s journey is different but he has been given his chance and taken it. That’s all down to him. He’s a brilliant footballer.”
Read the full article here