‘He doesn’t look like one’: Paul Ince sends warning to ‘wonderful’ Arsenal player

Follow us on Google Discover

Paul Ince warned Bukayo Saka on Premier League Productions that the ‘wonderful’ Arsenal player needs to ‘keep his feet on the ground’.

The former midfielder shared that he has seen ‘a lot of players’ during his career who supporters have become ‘excited’ about and they haven’t delivered, but he’s adamant that the Arsenal star won’t fall into that bracket.

At 19-years-old, Arsenal’s academy product is their best player with the likes of Willian failing to deliver and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang looking like the shadow of the player that was tormenting defences last season.

Ince lauded the qualities Saka has in his locker but did make it clear that he needs to cement down his place even though he can play in various positions.

“For Arsenal, I think he can play on the left, he can play on the right, he can play as a ten and we have seen him play as a left-back,” said Ince. “He can play multiple positions.

“But you don’t want to be known as one of those players that can play different positions. You want to have a set position for him to progress. But I just think he’s a wonderful player.

“He talks well for a 19-year-old kid. But he has to keep his feet on the ground. I have seen a lot of players in my career where we do get over excited about players. But he doesn’t look like one of those players that’s going to do that.

“He looks like he just wants to keep learning. He wants to keep progressing and he wants to keep getting better.”

It could be argued that for England, Saka is better suited to playing as a left-sided wing-back given that’s the system Gareth Southgate plays. Plus, the competition in the forward areas is much tougher on the international stage.

But for Arsenal, they need that vibrancy, spark and fearless nature in the final third, so Saka is better off either playing on the right or down the middle.

If Gabriel Martinelli can get back to full fitness then he can slot in on the left-hand side, with Emile Smith-Rowe as a number 10 and Saka on the right – three youngsters ensuring there is light at the end of the tunnel for Arsenal.