BUKAYO SAKA is on the cusp of living out every Arsenal supporter’s dream.
A boyhood Gunners fan and product of the club’s academy, the winger could lift the Champions League and Premier League in the next two weeks.
And one of those cheering Saka on to complete a historic Double is Baller League star Alfie Matthews.
The pair came through Arsenal’s academy together and both were offered scholarships two years early when they were 14 as coaches tipped them for the top.
Their careers have gone in different directions since then.
Saka will grace the Emirates tonight when Arsenal host Burnley, while Matthews, 24, now plies his trade for Clutch FC in the six-a-side Baller League.
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The champions will be confirmed next week at The O2 and Matthews hopes Saka gets his crowning moment in the Prem soon, too.
He told SunSport: “We still keep in contact. I’m so proud of Bukayo. He’s smashed it – and that is a big thing for me.
“That’s why I want Arsenal to win the Premier League and not because it is my club.
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“It’s because as much as I haven’t made it, as long as one of the boys gets that trophy, gets that medal, for all of us, it’s like one of us has done it.
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“That’s a big thing for me. Bukayo deserves it. The club deserves it.”
Matthews and Saka were part of a promising Arsenal youth side that reached the final of the Premier League’s Under-15 Super Floodlit Cup in 2017.
They were beaten by a Manchester City team that contained Cole Palmer and they were the Gunners’ main rivals at that time.
Matthews, like Palmer, wore the No9 shirt for his side that day nearly a decade ago and has fond memories of playing with Saka.
He said: “I scored stupid amounts of goals. I mean it’s quite easy when you’ve got Bukayo crossing them in. All I’ve got to do is head it and it’s a goal.
“We went unbeaten for like three seasons in a row. We were unbelievable. Our age group, in my opinion, was tipped to be that golden age group.”
Saka has ultimately made it to the top, but Matthews – like many others from that side – has not.
A series of injuries halted his progress at Arsenal, which was frustrating as before signing scholarship terms he was being watched by the likes of Chelsea, Liverpool and Man City.
Matthews eventually left the Gunners in 2020, but not before he had a taste of training with the first team.
It is an experience he still remembers and the biggest step up was the mental side of the game.
Matthews said: “The players knew when to move forward, when to stand still.
“Mesut Ozil was one of the best at that, where sometimes the ball’s moving, but you don’t have to move with the ball.
“Sometimes you’re standing there and the defenders are thinking, what is this guy doing? Why is he standing still?
“Next thing you know, Ozil has got the ball and is doing what he does best. So it was definitely the off-the-ball stuff that was more of a surprise to me.”
Not only did Matthews get to train with the likes of Ozil and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, there was also a chance for him to learn off Mikel Arteta.
He added: “People would obviously look at him and go, he’s got too much energy. But he’s like that 24/7.
“Even in the canteen, he would still be like that. He’s just got so much attention to detail, an unbelievable manager.”
In the Baller League, there is still an Arsenal connection for Matthews as he is coached by Chloe Kelly.
The Arsenal Women winger is the latest female coach for Matthews, who was previously managed by TV presenter Maya Jama.
Matthews said: “Being with Chloe at the moment, it’s that Arsenal link – so I couldn’t say no to her.
“When we lose, she is not the happiest – and that shows she actually cares. She’s not just doing it for publicity or money. She is very invested in all of us.”
Matthews – who now plays in midfield – was close to joining Serie A side Verona when he left Arsenal in 2020, but the Covid-19 pandemic led to the move collapsing.
Most recently, he was at non-league side Dover, however his contract was terminated in March as he committed to the Baller League.
Matthews has “nothing bad to say about the club” and is convinced he will make it back up the ladder soon.
He said: “In the least cocky way possible, I know I will get into league football. I do back myself.
“Everyone’s journey is different. You see Jarrod Bowen, he was playing for non-league sides and now he’s captain of West Ham.
“So, I have no doubt that I’ll get back into league football. It’s just being in the right place at the right time.”
Tickets for the Baller League Season 3 Final Four taking place at The O2 in London on Monday May 25th, shown live on Sky Sports and Baller League’s YouTube, Twitch, TikTok channels are available to purchase NOW via www.ballerleague.uk and www.theo2.co.uk.
