The hottest star of the England team in a confrontation with his great mentor. When Bukayo Saka steps onto the field for the match against France in the quarter-finals tonight (Saturday, 21:00) he will be excited not only because of the status, but also because among the opponent’s fans is one of its greatest past stars, Thierry Henri Schmo. For young Saka, Henry has been an inspiration for many years.
The 21-year-old creative winger, who is regarded as one of the best youngsters in the world, started his career in Watford’s youth teams, but has been playing for Arsenal since he was seven. Saka has been named Arsenal’s Player of the Season twice in a row in the last two seasons, becoming the first to do so since, you guessed it, Henry (in 2003 and 2004), the man who was his biggest boyhood idol.
The young Englishman was born in the city of Ealing, west of London, to immigrant parents from Nigeria, who spoke the Yoruba language, which is used in some parts of the African country, and called him a name that in their language means “add to happiness”. The outstanding student at the local high school, who used to get high grades, also excelled in football and when he was 17, Arsenal signed him to a contract and promoted him to the team until the age of 23.
In January 2019, he became the first footballer born in the 21st century to play in a Premier League match. He of course also played in England’s youth teams, and two years ago he started playing in the senior team and has already appeared in Euro 2020.
In the Euro final against Italy, the young Englishman missed a penalty that was stopped by Gianluigi Donnarumma in the decisive shootout and as a result Italy won the title and England lost an opportunity to register a first and historic win in the factory. Saka later received racist insults and insults on social media and wrote in response that it is sad that not enough is being done to eradicate this ugly phenomenon.
That incident was sad not only because of the obscene act of the surfers, but also because Saka is considered a positive type liked by everyone. Last season for example, after the 2:0 loss to Newcastle which determined that Arsenal would not play in the Champions League, the young player did not blame anyone, but publicly criticized himself and admitted that he played a weak game.
Last season the winger scored 12 goals in 43 games in all competitions (11 in 38 in the league) and this season he has so far scored five goals in 20 games in all competitions, including four goals and six assists in 14 games in the league. Last September he was chosen as the outstanding English footballer of last season, ahead of Declan Rice and Harry Kane in the poll.
Even on the big stage of the World Cup, the young Englishman continues to prove that he is a rising global star. It started with the pair he scored in the 2:6 win over Iran in the first match, followed by many compliments in the media and social networks, and continued when he scored another goal in the 3:0 win over Senegal in the round of 16.
With three goals so far in the tournament, France know full well that he is one of the key players the English will have to stop. “Saka is a real threat,” admitted the French national team defender Dayot Ofmakno.
We already told you that Saka was an excellent student at school, well, he never stopped being interested in other subjects besides football and he even misses the classroom. The video on Twitter in which he teaches other players of the national team to spell words in the English language went viral and when he was asked what he would do if he wasn’t a footballer, he replied that he would be a basketball player or a film actor. Will Smith, by the way, is his favorite actor on the screen.
As mentioned, Thierry Henry was the player admired by the young star, who said that not only did the Frenchman call him after the missed penalty in the Euro final, but also after many other games of the Gunners: “Thierry still loves the team very much, he is an amazing person”.
Henry and Robert Pearce, who were Arsenal’s biggest stars two decades ago, mentored him during his time at the academy and both of them of course contributed to him with their experience after they won the 1998 World Cup with France. “It’s a shame I didn’t get to meet Arsene Wenger yet,” he said Sake About the former manager of the Gunners. “My father loves him very much and so do all the people at the club thanks to what he did for him. They will always be legends.”
“You want a guy like Saka to marry your daughter”
England fans’ love for Saka increased after he asked for a photo with David Beckham, when the former star came to visit the camp at the invitation of manager Gareth Southgate. One of them wrote: “Beckham should be the one to ask him for a joint photo.” Another fan wrote: “My love for him grows day by day” and another fan wrote: “Saka is the kind of guy you want your daughter to marry.”
The young winger is considered by many to be the outstanding footballer of the England team in the World Cup. He is a great dribbler, a wonderful finisher of moves, fast and knows how to manage in all kinds of situations, even off the court. In another video that became a hit, they let him compete in a game of darts against one of the journalists, and even though he had never played a game before and asked what he should do, he still achieved an impressive streak and beat the journalist.
Saka’s nickname in the team is Little Chilli (“the little pepper”) and he got it from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang who collaborated with him at the Gunners and called him that because of the goals he scored in training. The striker from Gabon was impressed by the energy and power in his kicks his teammate at the time.
“We practiced problems and I kicked very hard,” he said Sake How did he get the nickname? “Uba said it all the time in French. I didn’t understand what he was saying, after training I asked him about it and he explained it to me. From then on he continued to call me that and it caught on and became my nickname.”
Sake He is not only a great actor, but also an amazing human being who always speaks openly and honestly and has also financed 120 surgeries for children in Nigeria, the country of origin of his parents. “I feel connected to Nigeria,” he said about the charity work. “I feel lucky to be where I am. It makes me happy to see them and their parents happy.”
His teammate, the goalkeeper Aron Ramsdale, testified: “You want Bokayo to be your brother or your son.” Due to the increased satisfaction with his ability and personality, Arsenal may sign him to a new contract and triple his salary reaching £70,000 a week.
Saka’s current contract ends in a year and a half. According to the ‘Transmarket’ website, its value reaches 78 million euros, but the estimates are that it is worth more and that if it is sold, its price may reach 100 million. According to reports, Pep Guardiola is trying to bring him to Manchester City and Real Madrid are also interested in him.
Following the success, the British tabloids extensively report on Saka’s life off the field. His girlfriend is Ptolemy Benson (22), they have been dating for two years but kept the relationship a secret until last February. Recently, several photos of the partner in Qatar were published, cheering him on.
Although he now earns huge sums that allow him to eat at any luxury restaurant he wants, Saka still makes sure to eat rice and soup that his mother cooks for him. “I am a normal person,” he testified to himself. “I don’t want football fans to be unable to approach me.”
Sake He doesn’t like the comparisons between him and Kylian Mbappe, and when he was asked about it in the run-up to the quarter-finals, he replied: “There is only one like him, and that’s me.” According to him, he has been a believer since he received a special feeling while visiting a church as a child. Since then he has not stopped reading the Bible every night and has not deviated from his routine even during the World Cup in Qatar.
“The presence of God in every moment is a very important thing for me. It gives me confidence that I know God is by my side. The main thing for me is faith in God and so I don’t have to be worried about the future. This is my first World Cup and obviously things could have worried me, but I chose to concentrate on faith In God”.