Lewis-Skelly's Drastic Evolution After Returning from Indonesia

Long before the world witnessed the brilliance of Arsenal player Myles Lewis-Skelly, football enthusiasts in Indonesia had already seen his immense potential firsthand. Approximately one and a half years ago, the 18-year-old teenager competed in the U-17 World Cup Indonesia 2023.

Lewis-Skelly has become the "talk of the town" following the announcement of the latest England national team squad list. He is the only teenager called up by head coach Thomas Tuchel. The wing-back bypassed the U-21 age group level and directly joined the senior team.

"I am very delighted. Honestly, I am so happy that I was shouting around my house. Certainly, I am excited to see what will happen, but I must stay focused and not get carried away," said Lewis-Skelly about his first call-up to the senior team.

England, along with Lewis-Skelly, will begin their journey in the group stage of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers on Saturday (22/3/2025) early morning WIB. They are set to face Albania and Latvia. Both matches will take place in Lewis-Skelly's hometown, London, specifically at Wembley Stadium.

If a fortune teller had said six months ago that Lewis-Skelly would be called up to the national team, perhaps no one would have believed it. Previously, he was merely part of Arsenal's academy team. He was only given his debut by manager Mikel Arteta on September 23, 2024, against Manchester City.

Lewis-Skelly was the butt of jokes in the match. He had already been booked before his debut for disrupting play from off the pitch. Having only come on briefly during injury time, he was involved in a confrontation with striker Erling Haaland. “Who are you?,” Haaland quipped.

That debut opportunity became a turning point in his career. Arsenal faced an injury crisis in the left-back position. That disaster for Arsenal turned out to be a hidden blessing for him. Lewis-Skelly began to be trusted as a starter and has become a key player for "The Gunners" over the past four months.

Lewis-Skelly's star aura shone during the next encounter against City in early February. He helped Arsenal secure a 5-1 victory over the rival team and contributed one goal. He celebrated the goal with a meditation-style celebration reminiscent of Haaland. It was enough to answer Haaland's question.

Tuchel said the coaching staff were like parents when discussing Lewis-Skelly's call-up. They wanted to keep the teenager, so there was a doubt whether it was too soon or not. "But with the quality and maturity he showed, we agreed to call him up," he said.

“For the first call-up, we accelerated Lewis-Skelly’s career again, which has been on the fast track for the last few months. He plays regularly for Arsenal, the second strongest team in the Premier League. He is absolutely outstanding,” Tuchel said.

Lewis-Skelly has made 26 appearances, 16 as a starter, for Arsenal this season. The 2006-born player has recently become the first-choice left-back, with Riccardo Calafiori, who was bought from Bologna in the summer, often being his understudy.

When appearing in Indonesia, Lewis-Skelly did not play as a full-back. He was a defensive midfielder. That position has been trained since the academy. The move from midfielder to full-back started from Arteta's initiative. The teenager welcomed the offer to change positions.

Arteta has always played the inverted full-back role for the left wing-back. In that role, the player will move up into a midfield position when in possession. Lewis-Skelly is considered a good fit because he has good technique as a former midfielder and special physical advantages to guard opposing wingers.

That versatility gives Tuchel more tactical options. As is known, on the left side, England does not have that type of player. They have so far relied on pure wing-backs who are tasked with combing the sidelines, such as Luke Shaw.

Interestingly, Lewis-Skelly’s evolution is not over yet. Arteta is open to the possibility of the player returning to his natural position. “He can play in many positions, playing as a ‘6 and 8’. It depends on the relationship with the other players and how he evolves in the team,” said Arteta.

According to Arsenal and England midfielder Declan Rice, the most special thing about Lewis-Skelly is his physical ability. Although he doesn't look too sturdy at 1.78 meters, Lewis-Skelly seems unstoppable. Rice has rarely seen a teenager with such a solid body.

It makes perfect sense that Lewis-Skelly has been given fast-track access to the senior team. It's all because he has accelerated his abilities. From technique, physique, to mentality, he looks beyond the normal limits for an 18-year-old.

Indonesians are lucky to be able to see firsthand the evolution process of the new star of “Three Lions”. (AP/REUTERS)