Bukayo Saka is out to make Arsenal history this weekend as the club's homegrown academy graduate prepares for the Champions League final. The 24-year-old winger, who joined Arsenal's Hale End academy at age seven, now has the chance to complete an unprecedented Double by winning the European Cup for the first time in the club's history, having already secured the Premier League title.
Saka's Journey from Academy to Stardom
Saka's story embodies the dreams of young footballers and explains his immense popularity among Arsenal fans. After making his debut in 2018, he lived through difficult times before establishing himself for both club and country. Now, he has the opportunity to write another chapter of history, becoming the closest thing to club legend David Rocastle for a generation of supporters.
"We all know where my journey started. Seven or eight-year-old at Hale End Road, this was a long, long way away trying to win the Premier League, trying to win the Champions League with Arsenal," Saka said. "It feels like this last week it's all become a reality and tomorrow is another exciting opportunity to create more history."
Thierry Henry's Influence
Club legend Thierry Henry, who once doubted whether Saka would make the grade, has become one of his biggest supporters. Henry made sure to be at the Puskas Arena to send his best wishes to the team. "[Henry] messaged me earlier. He just said: 'Afternoon, I'm here, I'll see you outside after training. I'm going to be here,'" Saka revealed. "It's been a consistent theme, he's been there in the good and bad moments and yeah I've got a lot of love for him and I appreciate him a lot."
Arteta's Transformation and Team Spirit
Saka has also been on a journey with manager Mikel Arteta, who transformed Arsenal from a laughing stock into title contenders. "A lot comes to mind. We were very far away from the level we are now but Mikel made it clear that he wanted to bring Arsenal back to where we believe it belongs," Saka said. "I'm proud I can sit here today and say that we've achieved that in winning the Premier League. Obviously playing in this final, it's been a long journey with some disappointments along the way but it's been worth it."
The winger emphasised the team's unity: "I feel like we're a very tight knit team, we get on very well together and I feel we're willing to fight for each other both on and off the pitch. That goes a long way and it helped us win the title and hopefully it will give us an advantage on the pitch here as well."
Fatigue Not a Factor
Despite PSG's players having played 38 games fewer than Arsenal's squad, Saka dismissed fatigue concerns. "We've had a week to recover and we're ready to go again and a game like this is not going to be decided on minutes," he stated. "It will be decided on moments and which team can produce a bit of quality and be well organised."
Motivation and Fan Celebration
Saka acknowledged the historic significance of the occasion: "We know the history of the club, we know that tomorrow as players we can win it for the first time so that, for us as players, is a lot of motivation." He also looked forward to celebrating with fans: "The parade is maybe going to be the first time we see a proper gathering of all the Arsenal fans and we're very excited. But at the same time we're trying to stay focused on this game because we're so excited, so motivated to do something special and make the parade even more crazy."
