For all the glowing tributes and adulation of Arsenal's fantastic youth academy, there is a common misconception that their policy is to recruit and relocate talent from abroad. This notion is partly borne from the number of foreign players who appear to make the grade as opposed to their English counterparts.
Instances of home grown success stories have been in short supply, Theo Walcott was plucked from Southampton, and whilst the club can take credit for Ashley Cole, the likes of David Bentley and Jermaine Pennant have needed to spread their fledgling wings before prospering. This void of English talent emerging from the Shenley training centre will soon be coming to an end.
Last season the young Gunners completed an Academy Premier League and FA Youth Cup double, with a squad largely consisting of players from our shores. The starting XI for the Youth Cup Final first-leg with Liverpool boasted nine Englishmen. Jack Wilshere may be the most instantly recognisable name to many, but within the Emirates there is just as much expectations being placed on another London lad, Henri Lansbury.
With the Gallic spelling of his Christian name, it seems almost inevitable that Lansbury should emerge from the Premier League's most Francophile club. The dynamic midfielder fits the archetypal mould for an Arsenal player, combining excellent technique with the intelligence and appreciation of how football should be played. Such traits are a pre-requisite for any player hoping to emerge from such an illustrious institution, but Lansbury is different, and combines a drive and tenacity not always associated with the dainty skills of an Arsene Wenger protégé.
The beauty of academy football now, is that talented kids can train and be taught by clubs from the ages of six or seven. Previously, the best players were signed up at 12 or 13 and subject to a period of polishing up before being deemed worthy of a YTS contract. Now, with the age lowered, a young player can be schooled almost from kicking a ball for the first time and be brought up with a strong emphasis on technical and tactical aspects of the game. There are no greater exponents of this in the English football than Arsenal, and Lansbury has been subject to this education since the age of nine.
Essentially an attacking central-midfielder, the six-foot Lansbury possesses an impressive speed of feet and thought in and around the opposition penalty area. His passing ranges from subtle, to clever, to decisive - creating and dictating with equal comfort. His goals record for England Under-17s and Under-19s stands at almost one in two, and in a successful loan spell at Scunthorpe United - which provided Lansbury's first taste of league football - the young tyro found the net five times in 17 games. With a healthy record of creating and scoring goals, an immediate comparison could be drawn to Frank Lampard, and given the Chelsea star is progressing into his 30s, an heir apparent needs to be found.
At 19 years of age, Lansbury is a relative old-timer given Arsenal's penchant for blooding kids barely out of school. Indeed, despite making his debut at 17, he has only featured for the Gunners’ first team on four occasions, all in the league cup, and all as substitute. His impact at the Emirates has perhaps not belied his reputation, but elsewhere, out on loan and through the various England youth ranks, noises about his potential remain extremely positive.
In Arsenal's 4-1 rout of Liverpool in last seasons Youth Cup final, Lansbury set up two of the goals and was largely viewed as the standout player on the pitch. This summer, as a member of England’s Under-19 European Championship runners-up squad, he scored three goals during the tournament, including one in the semi-final versus France, and another during the 7-1 thrashing of Slovenia, capping an exceptional individual display in which he also assisted another three goals. The extent of his showings for the Under-19s in Ukraine justified the hype about a player whom has somewhat slipped under the radar at Arsenal, with the likes of Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey being given more exposure to the senior squad. On transfer deadline day, a loan move to Watford was sealed, giving Lansbury further chance to impress on a regular basis in the tough environment of the Championship.
This experience should see if Lansbury has the temperament as well as the technique to succeed at the highest level. Early indications are good. His performances have highlighted his exceptional talent, most notably when Sky cameras rolled into town for Sheffield Wednesday, in which the loanee delivered two very well taken goals, in a man of the match cameo. For Malky Mackay’s men, Lansbury has assumed his favoured central-midfield berth, a vocation which can prove physically demanding in the muscular slog of the Championship. In this role he has operated admirably, negotiating the hurly-burly side of the game whilst also projecting elements of his Arsenal brand of football on the team. It is such assignments which prove invaluable to the making of young footballers, and a stint at this level could hone Lansbury into a true all-round midfielder.
Of course, the hard yards start now. The list of promising players who never fulfil their potential is endless, and the real test will be if he can attain a place in Wenger’s marvellous side. If he can do that, then we do have a prospect on our hands. Complete midfielders who can tackle, pass well, influence games, create and score goals are a rare commodity - even more so when they’re English.
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