Brooke Norton-Cuffy reveals desire to play first-team football with Arsenal next season
Arsenal youngster Brooke Norton-Cuffy has revealed that he wishes to play first-team football next season, in an interview with The Beautiful Game Podcast.
The full-back spent the second half of last season on loan at Lincoln City and gained many admirers for his impressive performances at Sincil Bank.
The young defender, who recently won the under-19 European Championships with England, has now revealed that he wishes to continue playing men’s football and being around a first-team atmosphere.
He said: “I want to play in front of fans, showcase my talent and strive to win things.
“The aim for next season is to play men’s football at a high level, and at this current moment in time until I get back to Arsenal, I have to focus on the Euros.
“Hopefully I can impress during pre-season with the first team and hopefully get my chance.”
Striving for the first-team?
The full-back made 36 appearances for the Arsenal youth teams before being loaned out to Lincoln City in League One last season.
He took to senior football with exceptional confidence and eventually made 17 appearances for the Imps last season as they finished 17th in the league last term.
Norton-Cuffy impressed fans with his dynamic running and energy on the right flank and ended up scoring one goal and providing one assist during his time at the Sincil Bank.
The 19-year-old topped off a great year by being part of the England under-19 team that recently won the European Championships in Slovakia.
The England youth international may find himself in manager Mikel Arteta’s plans sooner than expected as no one really expected him to burst onto the scene and make the impact that he did.
If he continues his rapid growth and improvement, it will not be long before he is challenging Takehiro Tomiyasu and Cedric Soares for their right-back spot in the Arsenal first team.
In other Arsenal news, former Gunner Jack Wilshere is reportedly in talks to become a youth coach at the Emirates.