Ryan Smith following England's defeat to France in the UEFA U19 Championship Final
By David Alexander. Thursday, 22 September 2005.
Arsenal starlet Ryan Smith has received high praise from Gunners manager Arsene Wenger as the winger bids to make an impact on the domestic and international stage.
Smith, who is set to move up from the England Under-19s to the Under-20 squad to face Holland at Burnley on Sunday 9 October, has been impressive for the Arsenal reserves after recovering from a cruciate ligament last season.
"He has so many ingredients that you love to have when you’re a young player and I am confident he will be a big success," Wenger told Arsenal.com.
"He’s creative, he’s quick, he can score goals, he’s left-footed as well, and he’s a great crosser of the ball.
"He had a bad injury, Ryan, at a young age, but he’s now back to full fitness and he can be a very good support player for us. We must focus on the young players we have and give them a chance."
Smith has already been in fine form for the Under-19s and has learnt a great deal from the senior players at Arsenal.
"I always talk with the older players," said Smith. "They are really helpful in getting you to understand parts of the game that you may not be familiar with. You never stop leaning and in training they do some magical things.
"You cannot help but to learn from people like that - it’s wonderful to be training with them. You can’t just stop and watch because you’re training but you can admire.
"The manager says to me: ‘You’ve got pace and you’ve got skill but just use it when you need to but don’t forget to play simple when you can’.
"He’s always helping me. He spoke to me before I came out here during our first week of pre-season training. He told me he wants me to do well here and then hopefully I can look to get myself fixed in the Arsenal team."
Another player to make an impression this season has been Tottenham Hotspur's versatile Aaron Lennon.
With three appearances already since his move from Leeds United, Spurs coach Martin Jol thinks great things are to come: "Aaron was our best player when he came on.
Speaking to tottenhamhotspur.com, Jol added: "He stayed high up the pitch and was dangerous but the only thing he has to do is learn to give a better service.
"He’s a very young player but I think he’s an intelligent player. He’s got to grow up and if he does that, he has a good head on his shoulders and could solve a problem down the flanks. He proved a point to me and I believe in him - I think he can be a big player in the future."
Ticket Details - Call 0870 443 1914 to book.
Sunday 9 October at 2.30pm
In advance (not online):
£3 Adults, £1 Concessions
£5 Family ticket (2 adults, 2 under-16s)
Match Day:
£5 Adults, £1 Concessions
Burnley ticket office open Monday to Saturday 09.15 to 17.00