Noah Shulman-Miller
EXCLUSIVE Rising Arsenal star Charlie Patino speaks exclusively to the Gooner's Noah Shulman-Miller.
From schoolboy to potential star.
Since arriving on the scene at Hale End in 2015, Arsenal midfielder Charlie Patino has always been playing between one and two years above his age group. At just 14 years-old, two seasons ago, Charlie was playing predominantly in the U16s team where he directly contributed to the making of 42 goals (26 goals and 16 assists).
This season, due to his tremendous work ethic and contribution to the team, Charlie will be training 29 miles down the road from Arsenal’s Academy Centre, Hale End at Arsenal’s Training Centre, London Colney.
Charlie will join the first-year-scholars at London Colney, play the majority of his matches at Arsenal’s part-owned Meadow Park Stadium (the home of Borehamwood FC) and even may be given the chance to have a run out a couple of times down at Arsenal’s home, the Emirates Stadium.
Last season, we saw the breakthrough into the first team for Bukayo Saka and chances given to Eddie Nketiah, Reiss Nelson and Joe Willock on various occasions.
Charlie’s plan for the upcoming season is “to be humble and earn some opportunities to get some U23s action under his belt in the upcoming season…” he stressed when he spoke to us that it is important to take ‘small steps to achieve big things.”
Charlie’s first steps in his footballing journey were 15 minutes down the road from where he grew up when his dad took him down to St. Albans City Youth Football Club every Saturday morning.
His team would play against local opposition from in and around Hertfordshire county. From playing for St Albans City Youth Football Club, he then got scouted by Luton Town who he played for in the academy set up for five years between 2010 (aged seven) and 2015 (aged 12). In 2015, he was picked up by the Arsenal academy and has never looked back since.
Charlie was playing three years up from his age at Luton Town and in 2015, Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester City all came in for him and were interested in offering him a move to their respected academies.
Charlie chose Arsenal because of the reputation that Arsenal had of producing some of the best young talent in the Premier League such as Jack Wilshere and offering lots of game time to young world class footballers such as Cesc Fabregas.
Now being at Arsenal’s main training centre at London Colney, this will be Charlie’s full-time job.
He will work at Arsenal’s hub at London Colney from 9am-430pm and will work in the same environment as Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang, Nicolas Pepe, Alexandre Lacazette and of course Mikel Arteta, just to name a few…
He will eat meals in the same canteen as the first-team, he will work out in the same gym as the first-team and he may even be given more opportunities to train on the same patch of grass as the first-team at just 16 years-old.
Charlie has expressed that he is just getting started and when asked if he intends to stay at Arsenal for the foreseeable future, he replied “for sure.”
When speaking to us, Charlie said “I play as a part of the midfield pivot, one player that I really look at is Dani Ceballos.” Since coming onto the scene, Dani Ceballos has fitted best in that midfield pivot alongside Granit Xhaka.
Being able to create 42 direct contributions to the goal is special for the age that Charlie Patino is and the fact he is playing with players who are significantly older than him.
At Arsenal Charlie has been featured alongside his dual nationality compatriot, Miguel Azeez. Not only on the club scene has Charlie been busy in the past seasons but on the international scene as well.
With England, aged 16, Charlie has already managed 16 appearances and two goals. He has also had the chance to feature alongside Borussia Dortmund wonderkid, Jude Bellingham in the midfield pivot
Charlie’s playing style for both Arsenal and England is about being a box to box player in a midfield pivot.
We are sure that Charlie has the potential to impress all Arsenal fans and we look forward to following Charlie’s journey for years to come.
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