Jack Wilshere has urged Amani Richards to ‘keep working hard’ after he signed his first professional contract with Arsenal.
The 17-year-old penned a new deal on Wednesday and he took to his Instagram to express that his ‘dream’s come true’.
Wilshere knows what it’s like to break through from Hale-End academy and the midfielder posted this following message to the teenager on his IG post.
“Congratulations Amani Richards,” said Wilshere. “Keep working hard.”
There are plenty of examples Richards can look towards that will give him hope of breaking into the first team pretty soon.
Two of Arsenal’s most important players right now are Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe.
Both are boyhood Arsenal fans and they have walked the same turf young Richards is now trying to make a name for himself on.
Plus, he has someone like Wilshere, who is currently training with the Gunners, as a mentor in the background to help him get to the top.
Richards is yet to make his senior debut for the North London club and he will be aiming for that next after signing a professional deal.
Until then, he can only continue to do his talking in the academy and hope that chance comes.
It will also be interesting to see if Arsenal decide to loan out the promising forward because someone like Folarin Balogun is a prime example of someone who should have gone out and experienced first-team football elsewhere.
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