Skillful Saka took Edward Betham Primary School, in Greenford, West London, to victory in the Ealing Peal Shield for two years on the trot. His first coach described him as a ‘lovely boy’.
England wonderkid Bukayo Saka was destined for glory – as this fab photo of him as an 11-year-old ace reveals.
Our exclusive snap shows the future Arsenal player and his victorious primary school teammates in 2013.
Skillful Saka took Edward Betham Primary School, in Greenford, West London, to victory in the Ealing Peal Shield for two years on the trot.
He was so impressive that the school retired the team’s No.10 shirt, which had also been worn by his brother Yomi and their cousins Folu and Tunde.
Teaching assistant Bev said: “When he came to the juniors we noticed his skill but he was too young to be in the football team.
“I sorted the football team out and I asked Yomi if he knew any players and he said, ‘My brother’.
“Yomi was very good in his own right, but we had a little look at Bukayo and he was very good.
“He was a cut above the rest. Bukayo was about seven and he was playing with 11 year olds. When he was playing in year seven or eight he was being scouted for Arsenal.”
Saka moved from Ealing, West London, after signing a contract with Arsenal but still lives with his parents in a six-bedroom mansion, which he bought in 2019 for £2.3million.
His Nigerian parents, Adenike and Yomi, came to the UK in the 90s to give their future children a better life.
Saka has presented his old school with an Arsenal shirt and it keeps a scrapbook about his matches.
Head-teacher Caroline Chamberlain, who was Saka’s class teacher in year two, said: “He was so lovely, very hardworking, always did his best. He was very responsible and showed a lot of care and consideration for others.
“The thing about Bukayo is that he deserves everything he got. Nothing was ever too much for him, he was never big-headed, he was very grounded.
“For me, that’s what makes it all the more brilliant. He came to visit the school in June 2019 and the children still talk about that visit. It had such an impact.
“He was still saying, ‘Hello miss’. Fame has not changed him. He’s still the wonderful, respectful young man he always was. He went round to every classroom – he was very inspirational.
“Every time he steps out on the pitch for England we’re all buzzing. We just want him to keep going.
“When the youngest cousin, Tunde, left the school Bev got ‘Saka’ printed on the No.10 shirt that they all wore and that has been retired from the school kit. We’re still using the kit that Bukayo wore when he was here. We’ll never tire of saying how proud we are of Bukayo.”
