Arsenal youngster Josh Nichols admits that North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur ‘offered me a contract’ before he put pen to paper with the Premier League leaders, speaking to the Gunners official website.
With Bukayo Saka, Eddie Nketiah and Emile Smith Rowe now valuable members of Mikel Arteta’s first-team squad at the Emirates Stadium, Nichols will not be short of inspiration as he looks to make the step up from reserve-team football to the senior stage.
The exciting right-back is thought of very highly behind the scenes at Arsenal. Nichols signed a scholarship deal with the club last year, and has since made the transition from Hale End to life at London Colney.
“London Colney is a big step up from Hale End,” the teenager explains. “And I’ve been picking the brains of my coaches to make sure I’m improving in every area. Specifically, I’ve been working on the attacking side of my game with Jack Wilshere and Adam Birchall.
“They’ve been helping me choose my moments better of when to go up the pitch and then getting back into position to defend.
“One thing I’ve been asked to do a lot is tucking inside as a full-back; just as Mikel Arteta has his defenders do in the first-team. I want to play for the first-team. So obviously, this is what I want to do and need to do.”
Josh Nichols chose Arsenal over Tottenham Hotspur
Nichols had spells at West Ham United and Chelsea before ending up at Arsenal. He was let go by the former (‘I was told I was too small’) and could not join the former as he was ‘too young’ at the time.
Tottenham also showed an interest. But the opportunity to hone those considerable talents at his boyhood club was one Nichols could now ignore.
“I was training with (Spurs’) academy. But then the opportunity came up to go and have a trial at Arsenal; the team that my dad and I support,” Nichols recalls. “So I couldn’t turn that down.
“I finished my trial at Hale End, but didn’t get offered a contract the first time. So I ended up back at Tottenham. They actually offered me a contract. But then I got a call from a scout called Shaun O’Connor, who said that Arsenal wanted me back for another trial.
“When I got the second call, my family and I had a big decision to make. We weren’t sure whether to sign with Tottenham, or to risk it and go back on trial at Arsenal. But because I love Arsenal and my parents were positive that I had the ability to get signed, we took that leap of faith.
“And luckily it paid off!”
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