Updated: 11 May 2026 15:55 BST |
5 min read
Arsenal youngster Myles Lewis-Skelly has revealed how he has dealt with the adversity of barely playing for large stretches of the season and what it could mean for his future.
The 19-year-old has experienced two contrasting Premier League campaigns in his nascent career. Last year, Lewis-Skelly was one of the breakout stars in England’s top flight, even earning senior call-ups to Thomas Tuchel’s Three Lions.
This time around, however, he has found life more difficult. In the summer, Arsenal signed Piero Hincapie on an initial loan from Bayer Leverkusen, with this deal set to become permanent after this season.
The Ecuador international effectively replaced Lewis-Skelly, relegating him to third choice in the left-back department. The 19-year-old struggled for minutes as a result, particularly in league play.
While he featured in the Champions League and the cup competitions, he had only made one Premier League start by mid-April. In fact, he didn’t play at all in the league in two months between mid-January and mid-March. Since then, however, things have dramatically changed.
Lewis-Skelly’s resurgence
Two weeks ago, Lewis-Skelly was finally unleashed in his natural position. Growing up, the teenager was a midfielder, not a left-back, and fans had been clamouring all season for him to get minutes in his preferred role.
With Martin Zubimendi looking increasingly jaded as the season has gone on, Mikel Arteta decided that a clash with Fulham was the perfect opportunity to test Lewis-Skelly in midfield. The experiment worked.
The youngster impressed so much that he has kept his place in the team since. He also started in midfield against Atletico Madrid to help Arsenal reach only their second Champions League final, and he played the full 90 against West Ham on Sunday.
Speaking ahead of the clash with the Hammers, Arteta admitted that the ease with which Lewis-Skelly has slotted into midfield after barely playing was “surprising.”
“I think it’s been a process of probably understanding him better, him understanding as well the standards that are required when you play or don’t play that much at this level,” Areta said. “To understand the reasons why you play or don’t play as well.
“And then he’s been exceptional, his attitude, the way he’s been training, the way he’s been supporting the boys when he hasn’t played. And he’s given us every sign to think that when we were going to give him the chance, he was going to respond in the manner that he’s done it.
“But after he’s done it – and it’s not easy, especially when you haven’t played that much – to look that fresh, that confident, that energetic, playing with that determination, it’s something that is surprising.”
Lewis-Skelly on handling adversity
Lewis-Skelly himself has now spoken about how he has managed to cope with the adversity that has been thrown his way this season. Because of his lack of minutes earlier in the campaign, transfer speculation has been ramping up in recent months.
However, the wonderkid insists that he is blocking out all the noise and is only focused on helping the Gunners finally get over the line, in both the Premier League and the Champions League.
“I am focused on the games that we have got coming up – and bringing this club back to glory,” Lewis-Skelly said. “We are buzzing, but we know that the job is not done. We have got two more finals left now. The next one is Burnley – and then we go on from there.”
Asked about his move into midfield, he revealed a brief talk with Arteta pre-Fulham: “He told me, ‘You are going to play midfield, so go for it.’ So, that is what I did! I had to be bold and play with courage, because that is what this league demands.
“It feels so natural for me to be there. I have been training there a lot, so when I came into there, I felt comfortable, and I feel like I took that opportunity.” His lack of action early on in the season “was tough initially,” but he prides himself “on having mental strength,” he says.
“Sport is not one pathway, because there are ups and downs. And it’s how you bounce back from that, and how you are in those moments when you face adversity. That is what defines you.
“I spoke with my family and friends. I just told them, ‘I don’t want to hear all the noise that is coming from social media. Let me stay in this moment, let me continue to face this adversity and let me come out the other side of it.’
“For me, it is just always being prepared, always feeling like I prepare as a starter – because you never know when your time will come. Luckily enough for me, it came against Fulham. I feel like I took my opportunity and just helped the team out as much as I can.”
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