Arsenal youngster Myles Lewis-Skelly was named Scholar of the Year at the recent Premier League Youth Development Awards (via the club’s official website).
Lewis-Skelly has enjoyed a meteoric rise this season, culminating in his emergence as a vital first team player.
The 18-year-old progressed through the academy as a midfielder but has impressively adapted to playing at left-back for the senior side.
He has made 38 appearances for Mikel Arteta’s side, contributing one goal and two assists.
The English youngster became Arsenal’s youngest player to start a Champions League match since 2011 when he was named in the starting line-up for the clash with French side Monaco in February.
England head coach Thomas Tuchel has also recognised his rapid progress. He received his first senior call-up in March for the 2026 Fifa World Cup qualification matches against Albania and Latvia.
Lewis-Skelly made his debut against Albania and scored, becoming the youngest player to score on his England debut, surpassing Marcus Rashford’s previous record.
Former Arsenal academy goalkeeper Tom Smith was also named Academy Graduate of the Year.
Smith was recognised for his off-pitch achievement. He earned a first-class economics degree from University College London while being a full-time goalkeeper for Colchester United.
The 23-year-old spent 14 years at Arsenal, representing the U18s and U21s before joining Colchester in 2023.
Academy manager Per Mertesacker expressed pride in the pair and thanked the academy staff for their vital roles in their development.
“Tom, someone who could still contribute to football, has also made his path and made his journey into the real world, where you’re going to put yourself in the best possible position to be successful now in this course.
“It opens up many opportunities for them. These two worked on so many relationships that worked in their favour and opened up so many opportunities. So, it’s great to spend time saying thank you to all the staff for their contribution to developing those two young individuals.
“It was a great way to finish the season, to celebrate the successes, but also for me to thank all the staff in the academy and the club who have dealt with Tom and Myles and thank them for their contribution.
“So, I’m really pleased to be in this position where I lead the academy, but we can speak about the amazing people that we bring through the academy to make a fantastic contribution.”
Forward Khayon Edwards missed out on the Premier League 2 Player of the Season award. It was won by Manchester City defender Jahmai Simpson-Pusey.
Stats from transfermarkt.com
