Jeff Reine-Adelaide has showered praises on Alex Iwobi, highlighting the inspiration his rapid rise in Arsenal serves to him and many youngsters.
The pair were teammates in the Gunners youth side before the Nigeria international got promoted to the first team.
The 18-year-old attacking midfielder said Iwobi’s shot to prominence shows that hard work pays off.
“It is always encouraging to see a young player doing so well even if he is a little older than me,” Reine-Adelaide told Arsenal Player.
“His progress has been exceptional. Every day he shows what he is capable of and he has really made his mark on the team.
“He has real talent when it comes to getting on the ball, pushing forward and passing accurately – which means he was able to slot into the team easily as currently that is Arsenal’s style of play.
“But not just that. He is actually a really nice person too. I think it’s all connected and you can see that on the pitch.
“He is a very relaxed person away from the pitch. He loves to muck about with the other players and have a good laugh, but importantly, he knows how to distinguish between things on and off the pitch. That’s one of the things I like most about him.
“The main thing is always to keep trying and believing.
“Even if you are young, you can have ambitions and achieve them.
“Alex has helped lots of youngsters see that if you keep going and work hard, you will make it one day.”
