Throughout the season we meet with our young Gunners to learn more about their journey to our academy. First up this season is goalkeeper Brian Okonkwo:
Ever since I was three years old, all I can remember is being surrounded by football. Be it with my dad on TV, match of the day, playing soccer in the park or even after school, football was always there. Arsenal too.
Some of you who follow the academy may know my last name and that’s because my older brother Arthur is a goalkeeper too! He joined Arsenal Academy at a very young age and as you can imagine as a younger brother I have always looked up to him very much and wanted to follow in his footsteps.
There were so many footballers who inspired me as a kid but the fact that my brother was involved in academy football made me feel like it was so much more attainable and that it wasn’t a distant reality. I actually started playing football as a forward and I loved Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney. Their combination of technical ability and aggression was something I loved, but it took me until I was nine to finally put on the gloves and give it a try.
I’ve always been very tall for my age so one day when my team didn’t have goalies I thought why not? What’s the harm in being a goalkeeper for a day? But I absolutely loved it and from that day on I basically stopped playing outfield!
The funny thing about me and my brother is that we are so competitive and always have been. My brother had been in an academy for years when I first tried my hand at goalkeeping, but I remember telling him, “I’ll be better than you!” and that was the goal from day one. Sibling rivalry is different! Arthur has told me that he hopes I’ll be better than him in the future, but I know deep down he’s kidding and it’s going to come true…
Anyway, after playing as a goalkeeper for a while and showing a lot of progress, my dad spoke to me and told me that from what he’s seen at Arsenal I’m ready and able to make the step up into academy football close. I remember when we picked teams as a kid, all my teammates always picked me first even though I’m just a goalkeeper! It was always a really nice feeling and something that gave me the confidence and belief that I could move on to the next level.
Luckily an Arsenal scout named Francis worked on my Sunday team (Pro Touch) and he was able to give me the opportunity to prove myself at the academy. I’m so happy and grateful to have had this connection with the club but I also feel like I deserve these opportunities because my mentality has always been one of the strongest parts of my game.
Football is something I love and enjoy, but it’s never been just fun and games for me. This is something I take very seriously and throughout my life I have always felt like one of the hardest workers on my team. Becoming a professional footballer is something I’m dying to achieve and I know it doesn’t come without hard work, discipline and sacrifice.
I saw it from my brother and I know the level required to reach the top. I realized early on in my time at Arsenal that I’m in an environment where I can be the best version of myself and that it’s up to me to push myself and show my skills. Sure, my coaches and family are there to guide and help me and offer support, but ultimately it depends on how much I want to push myself and work towards my dreams.
This season I’ve had to make the step into full-time football at London Colney and it’s been an amazing experience already. For the first week or two I told myself it was all about getting comfortable and comfortable in this new environment and I can’t lie… I found it very tiring! I think everyone who goes up from Hale End does! But I’ve gotten involved and I have the feeling that I’m getting more and more confident with my new team-mates in the U18s.
I had to take a few extra steps to make sure I was ready for this step as well. I knew it would put my body to the test, so I had to take action and pay more attention to my diet, sleep, and recovery.
I used to go to bed at 11pm at Hale End but I’m already so tired from the transition to full-time football that I fall asleep at 10pm. I have nothing to say, my body is forcing me to go to bed!
As for my goals for this season, people around me have been telling me not to push myself too hard and I’ve definitely taken that into account, but in my opinion I’ve always had the ambition to aim high and When things don’t quite work out that way, at least I know I pushed my limits and did all I could do.
Copyright 2022 The Arsenal Football Club plc. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted on condition that appropriate credit is given to www.arsenal.com as the source.