When it comes to producing top-quality players, it’s hard to think of many Premier League teams with a better track record than Arsenal.
On top of numbers, Hale End has also produced a string of players who look destined for the very top of the game.
However, for every player who does make it to the pinnacle of the sport, there are plenty who fall by the wayside.
Unfortunately, that has been the case for one such talent, who was at one point compared to Phil Foden.
Arsenal's Hale End hotstreak
It would be fair to say that this current run of Hale Enders making it into the Arsenal team truly started with Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe.
Granted, the latter was eventually sold, but his impact in the two and a bit years he was fit under Arteta cannot be overstated, and well, when it comes to the former, what else is there to say?
The regular England international has only just turned 24 and has already made 266 appearances for the club, in which he’s scored 71 goals and provided 71 assists.
The next two academy graduates to make an impact at the club were Ethan Nwaneri and Myles-Lewis Skelly.
The former became the youngest player in Premier League history in 2022 and ended last season with an impressive tally of nine goals and two assists in just 37 appearances.
Lewis-Skelly, however, arguably made an even bigger impact, cementing himself as the manager’s first-choice left-back for some time and scoring on his debut for the senior national team.
Finally, the latest uber-talented teen to make their way out of Hale End looks to be Max Dowman, who has impressed every time he’s made it onto the pitch since his debut in pre-season.
However, a few years ago, many would have expected another name on this list, a player who was compared to Foden.
The Hale Ender compared to Foden
So, to be compared to a player as talented as Foden, the Arsenal youngster must have been looked at as a special prospect.
First Impressions
What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast’s ‘First Impressions’ series has everything you need.
While it seems a long time ago now, that is exactly how people perceived Charlie Patino.
For example, in October 2021, Jack Wilshere, who knows a thing or two about being a wonderkid, told the press that the youngster was “going to make a name for himself in the future” and that he was “one who everyone at the training ground is talking about.”
On top of that, scout Brian Stappleton claimed that fellow Arsenal scout Sean O’Connor told him Patino was “the best player who has ever walked through the doors at Hale End.”
Then came the comparison to the Man City star, which stemmed from his attacking ability during his time at youth level and was then highlighted in an article by the Times’ Gary Jacob.
All the excitement around the youngster came to a head when he scored on his competitive debut for the club in a Carabao Cup game against Sunderland in October 2021.
However, as we now know, all the hype around him and the comparisons to players like Foden were soon to be proven to be overblown, as two underwhelming loans to Blackpool and Swansea City began to cast doubt over his true potential.
Team
Blackpool
Swansea
Appearances
37
35
Goals
3
4
Assists
4
4
Goal Involvements per Match
0.18
0.22
Moreover, his representatives then told the club that he wanted to leave for more guaranteed game time, but after two middling years in the Championship, there was very little interest in his services.
Eventually, with little other option, the North Londoners agreed to sell the Hale Ender to Segunda División side Deportivo La Coruna for £1m, where he made just eight appearances last season.
However, while he didn’t live up to the expectations placed upon him, there is reason to be hopeful that the youngster can still have a successful career, as so far this season, he has six appearances for the Spanish outfit.
Ultimately, Arsenal have produced exciting talent after exciting talent from Hale End over the last few years, but Patino just wasn’t quite at the level required to become one of those who made it in North London.
