Joe Willock has greatly impressed thus far in the new season. The 20-year-old now has 20 senior appearances for the Gunners, including three of the first four matches of the new campaign. The club have rewarded him with a four-year contract.<\/p>\n
Willock has been at Arsenal <\/a>since he was just four years old and has climbed through every level of the academy. The midfielder made his first-team debut under Arsene Wenger in the League Cup in September 2017 against Doncaster Rovers.<\/p>\n Joe Willock netted his first senior goal for the Gunners in the Europa League last season against Vorskla Poltava. He followed that up with a brace in the FA Cup against Blackpool in January.<\/p>\n The player said of the new contract<\/a>, “To be at this club is an amazing feeling and I’ve always wanted to play for the Arsenal first team. Now I’m doing that, since the age of four and a half, it’s always been my dream. And to sign a new contract today is a brilliant feeling for me and my family.”<\/p>\n The club will, of course, hope that Joe Willock can continue his development and become a real force in the English game.<\/p>\n However, in the grand scheme of things, Willock’s transition from the academy to the first team is something that Arsenal will want to replicate time and again in the coming years.<\/p>\n Technical director Edu Gaspar<\/a> said in regards to the new deal<\/a>, “Bringing young players through to the first team from the academy is an important part of our approach and Joe\u2019s progression is a good example for how we want to work in the future.<\/p>\n “Joe has shown hard work and determination to get this far. He\u2019s continuing to develop and we look forward to him making a big contribution to the club.”<\/p>\n Main PhotoSign of Things to Come?<\/h3>\n
\nEmbed from Getty Images<\/a>