LONDON, United Kingdom – British-born Zimbabwean starlet Teshaun Murisa has signed his first professional contract with Arsenal at the age of 17.
The teenager has been at Arsenal since he was just six-years-old.
With his family alongside him at the Sobha Realty Training Centre on Tuesday, Teshaun put into perspective what a momentous day this was in his young career.
“I’m very delighted to achieve my dream of signing my first professional contract,” he said, “especially with such a big club like Arsenal.
“I’ve been here since I was six, so it means even more to me, and I’m just really thankful to my family for always supporting me.
“We’ve been through a lot together, so having them here is like how they’ve been with me forever, so it just means more.
“Coming through Hale End for about 10 years now, you see so many people go through the same journey that you want to go on; actually achieving it now just makes it feel even better.”
Teshaun has been part of a core group of players to move up through the Arsenal age groups together, winning the U16s Premier League Cup and playing against Manchester United in the FA Youth Cup at Emirates Stadium.
The midfielder values those connections and feels they have helped his development both on and off the pitch.
“I think it helps us really connect together, not just on the pitch, but as friends as well.
“We’ve become more like a family. So I really love playing with them, seeing them every day and just being around them.
“Ones that standout are my midfield partners that I’ve had for a while. They’ve been Maalik (Hashi), Saurap (Sampang) and Max (Dowman) sometimes as well.”
Teshaun embraces the challenge of matching the standard of Arsenal’s first team players and feels it gives him something to aim for as he continues his development.
“I think it’s really important to have players in the first team who you want to be like, because it gives you a goal that you need to aspire for and that you want to reach.
“Especially certain players like Declan Rice, they give you advice and help and tips on what you need to do to get to their level.”
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