The Arsenal under-18s' run to the FA Youth Cup semi final has been pretty remarkable. 22 goals across just four matches would be enough excitement for most, but back-to-back comebacks against Watford and Cambridge in the past two rounds have show there is a sense of determination to underpin the drama.
With talents like Lino Sousa, Reuell Walters, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Ethan Nwaneri and Amario Cozier-Duberry in this squad it's hard to escape the feeling that something exciting is brewing in the Arsenal academy set up right now. Their captain Bradley Ibrahim certainly agrees.
“There’s something special in this group," he tells football.london after their last gasp 3-2 victory over Cambridge United. "A lot of teams in the situations we have been in for the past few rounds of the Youth Cup would bow out and not go until the end but this team has something special about it. We believe that we’re going to get the next goal. If we keep that and keep going we can hopefully win the competition.”
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Comebacks are nothing new for Ibrahim though. Resilience is a skill he's had to learn the hard way after being released from QPR's academy set-up at the age of the 13.
Having received the news that every academy player dreads, Ibrahim did not waste any time proving those who had doubted him wrong. He signed up for a Sunday team, dedicated himself to improve his fitness, and within weeks he had been snapped up by Arsenal - the club he supported.
Speaking to Ibrahim, the confidence he has in himself and his teammates is clear. It is perhaps this experience of overcoming adversity that has given it to him.
Of course, when it comes to believing in yourself though, the faith of a coach like Jack Wilshere certainly can't hurt. “It’s so good for us," Ibrahim says of working with the former Arsenal midfielder. "He’s been in our shoes, played in the Youth Cup and been exactly where we are right now. He’s able to give us information other people can’t, so it’s amazing having him around.
“The way he relays information when we’re not on the pitch, we all know our game plan. What we’re meant to do, where we’re meant to be. Him telling us to be calm just means relax and think about our basics. That’s something he speaks about a lot, the basics of football: running, when you have the ball, keep possession and your quality will show.”
Although he has spent time playing centre-back, as a player who is primarily a central midfielder, Ibrahim is uniquely placed to learn from Wilshere. The two have worked closely together on the training pitch, with "spatial awareness, receiving the ball (to) go forward and trying to execute more forward passes," the areas Ibrahim highlights when asked what Wilshere has sought to improve in him specifically.
All being well, Ibrahim will be leading Arsenal's under-18s out for their FA Youth Cup semi-final against Manchester City or Oxford United next month. Armed with the self-assurance from his and the team's remarkable journey to get to this point, the 18-year-old will be full of belief that they can go all the way.
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