Noni Madueke handing Mikel Arteta Arsenal dilemma in Bukayo Saka battle
Mikel Arteta has built a team to compete on all fronts and the battle for places now sees Noni Madueke pushing Bukayo Saka for his jersey at Arsenal as well as in England.
Noni Madueke is ready to force his way into England’s World Cup tally – even if it means taking Bukayo Saka’s place at club and country.
The 23-year-old winger has taken his game to new heights at Arsenal since joining Chelsea for £52million in the summer – despite missing nine weeks through injury. Madueke had just scored his first ever international goal for England and received a standing ovation from Arsenal fans for his performance against Nottingham Forest when he was injured.
But he has regained fitness in the last month and it has barely stopped his pace, since he scored three goals in his first two Champions League appearances. But that didn’t surprise his personal trainer, Saul Isaksson-Hurst.
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“His mentality is second to none. He works very hard. He always wants to do more. He knows how important marginal gains are,” Isaksson-Hurst told Mirror Football. “We go to Marbella for five days (off season) and he works every day. He doesn’t go out late to party. All his peers will be at the beach club, he will be on the field with me working.
“He’s a social guy, I’m not saying he’s a monk. But when it comes to minding his own business, understanding when it’s time to work, he’s second to none. That just shows his character. He’s a mentality freak, he wants it so bad. Sometimes you have to tell him to calm down a little, to have that little bit of time off. He’s so focused.”
Isaksson-Hurst has worked with Madueke for over four years since the winger’s agent approached him during his time at PSV Eindhoven. And after scoring twice against Ajax in the Cruyff Cup, Madueke was ‘hooked’. The pair have continued to work together since, with Madueke’s career taking him back to Stamford Bridge before his big-money move to Arsenal.
But for Isaksson-Hurst – who spent 10 years working in the academy system at Chelsea and Tottenham – Madueke’s rise was far from unexpected. “I knew him, he was well known in the industry and then as a top player going overseas. He always had that potential.
“He’s just electric. He’s in the box office. He gets the ball and wants to make things happen. Not many players have that ability or the mentality, the will, the courage every time to keep going against players. He can do it. He can beat players on both ends, he can also outrun them. It’s really hard to plan how you’re going to defend against him because he brings so much to the table.
“He has no ceiling, he has so much potential. The challenge for any player – because he is still young – is to realize that potential and be consistent. Now he is showing it. He could be one of the best in the world, he has it in the locker.”
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Isaksson-Hurst has his own app, mypersonalfootballcoach, and describes himself as an “individual skills development specialist” who has worked with Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo and Monaco’s Folarin Balogun, while also consulting for many Premier League clubs and for organizations overseas.
And he revealed his work with Madueke even directly contributed to his second goal against Club Brugge in Arsenal’s last Champions League win. “That second goal we had been working on,” he said. “Those runs in the back post. That was something he identified and wanted to improve on because he missed a few chances. So it was nice to see him score.
“He has all the qualities to play and succeed at this level. That has never been in question. He is a really bubbly, charismatic, energetic and positive guy. You always understand that about him, he has an infectious personality. He wants to work hard and do well, wants to please people, wants to please the manager and the fans and wants to work hard to be in the best position to do it.”
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta left talisman Saka on the bench for the Bruges clash as Madueke’s performance gave his manager plenty of food for thought. And with a World Cup on the horizon, Madueke is not just aiming for a place on the plane next summer, but a starting place when England begin their campaign against Croatia in Texas on June 17.
“There is competition for places everywhere,” added Isaksson-Hurst. “The team (Arsenal) has benefited from it. It raises everyone’s level of play as they compete for places. We talk a lot about goals and it (the World Cup) has always been on the radar.
“Last year the goal was to get into the team and he exceeded that, so now the goal is to be in the starting XI in that first game in America. That means doing your best for Arsenal and then it takes care of itself.”