I asked Arsene Wenger for my Arsenal debut when I was 16, now I’m playing in the Dutch second tier

GEDION ZELALEM asked Arsene Wenger for his Arsenal debut aged just 16.

A decade on, the midfielder now plays in the Dutch second tier for Den Bosch.

Zelalem, 27, signed for the Gunners on his 16th birthday in 2013 and was compared to Cesc Fabregas in his early days at the club.

During six years in North London, he made four first-team appearances and won the FA Cup twice.

The former USA youth international also made his debut whilst still 16, becoming the first player born after Wenger took charge in October 1996 to make a competitive Arsenal appearance.

Zelalem replaced Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in a 4-0 FA Cup victory over Coventry in January 2014, playing alongside Santi Cazorla, Olivier Giroud and Jack Wilshere.

Recalling his debut, he told : "I remember signing my professional contract a couple of days before and asking Arsene Wenger if I’d play because I really wanted to make my debut when I was 16. Cesc Fabregas and Jack Wilshere did, so I wanted to follow the same path.

"All he said was ‘We’ll see’. So when I saw my name on the bench, I knew there was a chance."

As for the hype around him at the time, he added: "I didn’t pay much attention to that stuff, I had my own expectations.

"Although I wanted to follow the path of Fabregas and Wilshere by making my debut at 16, I knew I was a different player.

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"It was amazing just being on tour with Arsenal’s first team at 16. For an American kid, it’s unheard of.

"I knew I earned my spot, but I didn’t realise how good it would go and I just grew in confidence. It was memorable on and off the pitch as Wenger told me I’d stay with the first team."

Zelalem went on to have loan spells with Rangers and VVV-Venlo before the first of two major knee injuries in 2017 sidelined him for 16 months.

The German-born midfielder would leave Arsenal for Sporting Kansas City in 2019, with his final appearance coming almost three years earlier.

He endured a second year-long knee injury setback with New York City in 2020 before returning to Europe last year.

Now in the Netherlands with Den Bosch, Zelalem has made 18 appearances this season, captaining the side multiple times.

Despite being 18th in the table, the Blue White Dragons are currently unbeaten in their last five.

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