Saka recalls pure joy of football on his Arsenal journey

Bukayo Saka has opened up on his rise at Arsenal, looking back fondly on the simple joy that first drew him to football.

The winger joined the club’s Hale End academy at just seven and says the game immediately became his happiest escape. “Always. As a kid, football was just joy. When you had the ball at your feet, nothing else mattered. That was my happiness,” Saka reflected.

He also revisited the moment he stepped onto the senior stage for the first time, making his debut under Unai Emery in a Europa League game against Vorskla Poltava in 2018. Saka described that night as both freezing and unforgettable, admitting he was desperate to get on the pitch and impress. “I was itching to get on, praying the manager would give me an opportunity,” he said. “I just felt so free, just enjoying it.”

A month later came his Premier League debut in a 4–1 win over Fulham, a day he remembers as a mix of nerves and excitement. Since then, Saka has gone on to surpass 200 league appearances, becoming one of Arsenal’s key players and a symbol of Hale End’s success.