Arsenal wonderkid Salah-Eddine Oulad M’Hand is flattered by those Dennis Bergkamp comparisons as he looks to make his Premier League debut under Mikel Arteta, speaking to AD.
The fact that some are comparing him to one of the most naturally talented forwards in the last three decades should give you an idea as to what to expect from 18-year-old M’Hand.
A forward capable of mind-bending, almost physics-defying moments of magic. A forward capable of producing something out of absolutely nothing.
“You could see straight away there was something special about him,” one Arsenal scout said a few months ago (FL).
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M’Hand is yet to make his senior, first-team debut in red and white. But he has been included in the matchday squad on five separate occasions in 2021/22, with head coach Arteta full of praise not just for his ability but his attitude too.
“Against Leeds United in the Carabao Cup was the first time (I was included in the squad),” M’Hand remembers.
“That morning, I was training with the Under 23, until I suddenly had to stop training to prepare for the game that evening. I immediately called my grandmother and brother and got tickets arranged.
“Then you enter a packed Emirates Stadium, really magical. Then to hear the stadium speaker announce your name is a feeling like nothing in life.”
Arsenal’s next Dennis Bergkamp?
M’Hand joined Arsenal a couple of years ago from Dutch giants Feyenoord. His Netherlands background is perhaps another reason why comparisons with former Holland star Bergkamp are on the rise.
“I am often compared here with Dennis Bergkamp,” M’Hand explains. “Because of my feeling for the ball. Bergkamp is a legend, so that’s nice. But what I especially want is to make a name for myself.
“Playing and training for a Premier League club is end goal in my career. I’m blessed to be there (at Arsenal) now. And a debut is just a debut. It’s about what you do in the 15 years after that.
“Then, like Bergkamp did, you can really write history.”
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