Listening to Eddie Nketiah speak is at times like reading a self-help book.
The Arsenal striker preaches about working hard, sacrificing and believing in one day getting the fruits of your labour. That should not come as much of a surprise given the obstacles he has had to overcome. When he was released by Chelsea as a teenager in 2015, Nketiah’s dream of becoming a professional footballer was in serious doubt.
But he was spotted by scouts at Arsenal and handed a lifeline at their famed Hale End academy. Eight years on, the beaming smile on Nketiah’s face is of a young man who is enjoying his football at a club on the rise. Mikel Arteta has trusted him in the absence of the injured Gabriel Jesus, with Nketiah scoring against Nottingham Forest in the opening game of the season before winning the penalty that secured victory against Crystal Palace on Monday night.
Arteta did not start Nketiah in the Community Shield but said after the game against Forest that the 24-year-old had demanded to be picked after training “like a beast” in the build-up to that game. It is a phrase that Nketiah is clearly quite proud to hear.
“I always try to train like a beast and give my all every time whether I’m playing or not,” he explains. “That’s the mentality I have. I train full gas because I think if you train well most of the time it reflects in the match. That’s the way I look at football and life.”
That unwavering self-belief was also evident during the Arsenal: All or Nothing documentary where he scolded team-mate Albert Sambi Lokonga, who was unhappy about his lack of playing time.
“So what my friend? You think you’re the only man not f—— playing my friend? Stop feeling sorry for yourself and f—— wake up,” Nketiah responded to a dazed Lokonga. Asked how he feels looking back, Nketiah is unrepentant.
“Sambi’s a great guy, he is very motivated and a great player as well,” he says. “We have an honest and open relationship. We push each other and if someone is feeling down [we pick them up]. It’s a reflection of how I view life. It’s never good to moan and complain about the situation.
“You have to try and turn your situation around through hard work and showing your quality. That’s the mentality I have and always grown up with. Where I grew up, feeling sorry about yourself doesn’t get you anywhere. That’s a value and motivation that’s been instilled in me from young by my family. Where I grew up, no one cares if you’re upset, it doesn’t get you where you want to be so I think through hard work and resilience you’ll get to where you want to get to. It might not happen straight away but over time you’ll get your rewards.”
And those rewards are starting to come for a striker who has had a somewhat stop-start Arsenal career to date. Last season, Nketiah thrived when Jesus was injured, scoring six goals in as many games up to, and including, the stoppage-time winner against Manchester United on January 22. That, though, was his final goal in a season where Arsenal’s title challenge ran out of steam.
It also illustrates that Nketiah is far more impactful as a starter than a substitute, which is the role he is likely to resume once Jesus returns from his latest knee injury. In the Premier League, Nkeitah has 12 goals in 30 starts, compared to three in 61 substitute appearances. The numbers are noteworthy given the competition for places in the Arsenal attack with Jesus, Leandro Trossard and even Kai Havertz available to Arteta.
All that begs the question: can Arsenal achieve their ambitions with Nketiah as their main striker?
“I think it’s logical that if you start the game you usually have a better chance of helping or doing well,” he said. “Sometimes you come on as a sub and it’s different circumstances in the game. Sometimes the team is winning 4-0 and I’m not needed to score. Every game has its own situation so I try not to think about it. I know that most of the time when I’m given the chance to start or get substantial minutes I’m always able to help the team and have a pretty decent record.”
Up next for Arsenal is a home game with Fulham before Manchester United visit The Emirates a week on Sunday. Although Arteta has a desire to make his team more unpredictable and harder to stop, it seems Nketiah is certain to start and you feel that giving up is not an option for him.
“At a big club there is always going to be talent and competition,” he said. “It’s about working hard and improving yourself day in, day out. “I never [rest on my laurels]. Whether I’m on the bench or starting I’m full gas throughout the week. I train like a beast. Not just to impress the manager but for myself to make sure I’m ready for the game.”
Credit: Eddie Nketiah Celebrates New Partnership with Under Armour by opening new Under Armour Brand House on London Oxford Street.
